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THE LITERATURE 
OF THE DISCIPLES 



A STUDY 



J.^WfMONSER 



CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

St. Louis 

1906 



LIBRAHY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

DEC 22 5 906 

Cepyriffht Entry 
-j£^,>L2-, fCjo(o 
CLASS *^ XXc, No. 

COPY B. 






Copyright, 1906, 
By Christian Publishing Company 



TO 
. GEORGE HAJMIlwTON COMBS, 

Gifted as 
Preacher, Lecturer and Writer, 

BUT 

Most IivI^ustrious in His Friendship 
I Dedicate This IvITTi^e Book. 

Christmas Eve, 1905. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Th:E secret of a valuable book is the adaptation 
of its author to his theme. The author of this 
little volume is thoroughly en rapport with his 
subject. My earliest remembrance of him, which 
dates back a third of a century, is associated with 
his fondness for books. He has read widely and 
discriminatingly, not only our own literature, but 
the literature of other peoples. He has therefore 
a large familiarity with our writers and writings, 
and has the ability to detect and appreciate good 
points where he cannot approve of the whole. 

The author, in addition to the above qualifi- 
cations, is the master of an incisive, racy style 
which moves rapidly from point to point without 
wearying the reader with prolix comments. In 
his enumeration of the literary works which 
have appeared in the course of our history the 
reader may find some of which, perhaps, he 
knew nothing, and many which he had almost 
forgotten. It is a merit of the work that while 
recognizing the limitations which mark our lit- 
erary efforts, it by no means depreciates its value 
and its special adaptation to the times and cir- 
cumstances. This has not always been done by 

5 



INTRODUCTIOX 



writers on this subject. The literature of one 
period is, as a rule, ill adapted to the needs of 
a different period. Our past literature, while 
serving fairly well the times in which it was 
produced, cannot, except to a limited degree, 
meet the demands of the present and of the 
future. 

In dealing with the "Defects of Our Litera- 
ture," the author renders most valuable service 
to the cause of vital Christianity, in pointing out 
the nature and perils of formalism. No writer 
among us, in our knowledge, has dealt with this 
subject more incisively and discriminatingly than 
does the author of this volume. 

Among the valuable features of the work are 
the suggestions to future writers as to fields of 
literature to be occupied, and certain wants that 
need to be met. On the whole, it is an entirely 
sane, readable, and timely book, that will itself 
find and hold its own place in our literature. 

J. H. Garrison. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGK 

I. Initiation of Thk I^iterature . 9 

II. Formation of The I^iterature . 17 

III. Cl,ASSIFICATlON of ThE LITERATURE 29 

IV. Contrast Between Present and 

Past I^iterature .... 66 

V. Defects of The i^iteraure . . 77 

VI. Readjustment of Literature . 90 

VII. OuTi^ooK FOR Our Literature . 108 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 
I. 

INITIATION OF THE LITERATURE. 

We are about to begin the study of a 
peculiar literary product, with its informing 

life and its moral radiations. In order that 
it may be distinctive there must be some- 
thing distinctive in the life of our people. 
For it is this which gives freshness to ideas 
and acts. The one is governed by the 
other as sure as the night follows the day. 
This being so, I can better hope to treat 
this subject thoroughly by an inspection of 
that life as it has developed from period to 
period. Ncr must I overlook our relation 
to other lives and literatures. For life or 
literature is only of force as it deals with 
the world and translates itself into action. 
We fatten or starve by what we feed upon. 
Much of this, therefore, must be touched 
upon if I can hope to present a correct 
transcript. I know what I want to say and 
where I want to go, but the question is, can 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

I carry the reader along with me? I must 
beg his indulgence while I attempt it. 

How v/as it, then, in the beginning of our 
existence ? Curiously enough, a new thing 
happened. Though our brotherhood came 
from different folds they all brought, prac- 
tically, the same ideas. So that he who was 
gifted in the truth was generally acceptable. 
Thus we became initiated. While Owen's 
Socialism and the Brook Farm fancy were 
playing above the heads of the people as 
innocently as summer fireflies, we were busy 
below building our basis. It did not take 
these schemers long to discover that they 
were up in the air with no visible mode of 
descent. One blow from the brawny fist of 
Campbell laid low the one, and the other, of 
its own motion, beat an inglorious retreat 
into the cockloft of impractical theories. 
Except these there were nc noticeable nov- 
elties. But there was the opposition which 
came from within the denominational lines. 
This we met as it presented itself. 

Fortunately for us, we were lau nched at 
jjavorable_period^ Not to speak of the re- 
ligious agitation in the early part of the 
nineteenth century, or of the tendency of 



10 



INITIATION OF THE LITERATURE 

the better religious people to examine their 
standing, New Testament in hand, we are 
to be congratulated in the fact that our 
literature was in process of formation prior 
to the setting in of that period of modern 
science which has so shaken the faith of the 
multitude. May I add that the same is true 
in respect to historical criticism, as it would 
have affected the American mind. In the 
first quarter of that century there were no 
new scientific ideas, whether applying to 
Nature or the Bible, to draw aside earnest 
minds. Biology and geology as now taught 
were yet in embryo, and the battle of Moses 
and the myths had not yet reached the 
western ear. 

What might have transpired had our life 
begun half a century later, no one knows. I 
have heard it said that Alexander Campbell 
in his last days was asked whether, in the 
light of new facts, he was still satisfied 
with his conception of creation. That con- 
ception can be best understood by noting 
one feature of it. He held that by a fiat of 
Jehovah the trees instantly sprang into ma- 
turity. His answer betrayed doubt of this 
position, but he was too near the end of his 

11 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

earthly life to tackle the problems of mod- 
ern science. We smile at so crude a 
thought. But he laughs best who laughs 
last. Had this prince in Israel attempted 
such a revision as the evolutionist of the 
'60s demanded, who knows but that even he 
might have been thrown out of balance, 
giving to the world merely an ambitious 
apology for a personal God, rather than his 
great demonstration of the Christ. Val- 
uable as any true knowledge must be to the 
student of progressive life, does a person 
really need to know scientific truth to secure 
a correct understanding of the will of God ? 
Is there not a clear and ample knowledge 
of God to be derived from his Word, and 
sufficient for a full salvation ? If so, a leader 
such as Campbell would surely be on the 
safe side to adopt it, and thus steer clear of 
confusion. For this man had a purpose 
and he did not propose to mar it by devoting 
his energy to a field which did not belong 
to him, or by indulging in idiosyncrasies. 
Progress to him stood for naught unless it 
led one into the kingdom of heaven. 
Sciences might be true or false, that was 
not his question. If false, he would pro- 



12 



INITIATION OF THE LITERATURE 

foundly regret it and pass them by. He 
never dabbled with them. The course of 
our modern Theists, Monists and Theoso- 
phists would have been abominable in his 
eyes. He would have spurned such sam- 
ples of progressive thought. Far wiser is 
he, as a builder, who has the instinct to 
reject unsuitable material, chooses the 
choice stones for his arch, drives the key- 
stone home and thus clenches the whole. 
That was the way of this man of God. 

It jwas an a ge_^f_the grossest ignnranrp 
respecting the Word of Cnd In the cities, 
those who occupied the pulpits usually 
chose half a dozen words of Scripture, beat- 
ing out a fine spun, ethical essay, till one 
wondered as to the principle of interpreta- 
tion by which such a store of revelation 
could be educed. In country churches and 
at school houses where meetings were held 
no man was considered in good company 
who did not cry out loudly for the Holy 
Ghost. Thus the very virtue of Chris- 
tianity was frustrated by those who pro- 
fessed to esteem it. Every expedient and 
pretext was resorted to to keep out an in- 
telligent conception of the truth. Every 



13 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

corruption of practice was devised to make 
the terms and names of the popular reHgion 
designate and sanction the will of God. 
Some of these teachers were honest, and 
thought they were doing God's service, but 
the pall of ignorance had spread, absolutely, 
over them. Ignorance had so become a 
fertile breeding ground that prejudice came 
forth as native offspring. This ignorance 
could not annihilate the principle of re- 
ligion in the spirit of man, but in removing 
the exactions contained in the Savior's 
teaching, it left that spirit to take its own 
wayward course. The unenlightened mind 
threw a fictitious authority into its own 
phantasms, and into whatever elements of 
dogma and worship were preferred. Much 
was said about depravity in those days, but 
how could such gross souls know the es- 
sential nature of perfect goodness? Much 
as they might have resented the imputation, 
the fact is, there is no more riskful deprav- 
ity than arises from the corruption of truth. 
Here, then, was the problem for our fore- 
fathers. All about them were people who 
had never learned to think. Beings, who 
had hardly ever in their whole lives made 



14 



INITIATION OF THE LITERATURE 

a real effort to concentrate the action of 
their faculties on anything abstracted from 
the objects palpable to the senses. Whose 
entire attention had been engrossed with 
the fearful narrations and frenzied excla- 
mations of backwoods preachers; or who 
were easily led astray by the wiles of pulpit 
demagogues. It took a keen eye to detect 
the perverse cast in the exposition of the 
Christian faith, distorting and cramping it, 
as a foot in a Chinese shoe, but our leaders 
were equal to the task, at all times,, and the 
course they adopted was replete with wis- 
dom. It was their duty to give the be- 
wildered conscience a rational direction, 
and in order to achieve this they gave to the 
people the Scriptures in their purity. 

One noteworthy feature of this initiation 
was the insistence made for the one Book. 
In Thomas Campbell's famous Declaration 
he deems it worthy of remark "That of 
whatever use other books may be to direct 
and lead us to the Bible, or to prepare and 
assist us to understand it, yet the Bible 
never directs us to any book but itself." 
This, of course, was aimed at the creeds, 
which in that day were so fulsome as to be 



IS 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

an incubus on Christian people. But it had 
also the effect of clearing away confusion 
and centering thought upon revelation. So 
it is he insists upon the Bible's pre- 
eminence, saying: "In the case before us, 
that is, examination for church member- 
ship, let the question no longer be, what 
does any human system say of the primitive 
or present state of man? Of the person, 
offices and relations of Christ, etc., etc. ? Or 
of this, that and the other duty? But what 
says the Bible? Were this mode of pro- 
cedure adopted, how much better ac- 
quainted with their Bibles would Christians 
be! What an important alteration would it 
also make in the education of youth ! Would 
it not lay all candidates for admission into 
the church under the happy necessity of be- 
coming particularly acquainted with the 
Holy Scriptures? Whereas, according to 
the present practice, thousands know little 
about them/' 



16 



FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE 
II. 

FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE. 

First of all, there is a word or two to be 
said concerning the antecedents of our 
literature. While such wTiters as George 
Campbell, McKnight, Haldane and Isaac 
Taylor had something to do in indicating 
the route to be taken, I am persuaded that 
we were indebted to John Locke more than 
to any one else. No one can read his two 
famous chapters in the Essay — ^the one on 
faith and Reason, the other on Enthusiasm, 
without perceiving at once a most wondrous 
stimulus for us. But it was from his Rea- 
sonableness in Christianity, a book I 
chanced once to own, that the great blocks 
of truth came which entered without sound 
of hammer into the temple of the Lord. 
Locke had carefully studied the Gospels^ 
noted the great commission, coupled the 
last of Luke's Gospel with the Acts of the 
Apostles, and cited every instance of con- 

17 
d) 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

version therein precisely as we do. His 
affirmation that what was good enough then 
was good enough now, together with his 
bold denunciation of false feeling and false 
faith in the above chapters of the essay 
put him square up against our feet for the 
right stepping-stone. His philosophy has 
been criticised as too materialistic, and it 
was propositional rather than otherwise. 
Yet in that day of dreams and delusions 
there was no other argument that could 
clear the field. It was just the thing then 
and it took its place in the foundation of 
our religious thought. Be careful, there- 
fore, not to kick out your underpinning. 

Here, then, was a basis. About the great 
Campbell there were willing helpers. True, 
they were largely unacquainted with each 
other, and some were dead and gone, but 
they were workers in the same field, and 
all spoke ably through their writings. There 
was, therefore, every reason to press on and 
win the battle for the Lord. 

So feeling and so believing tracts began 
to be issued, and periodicals laden with 
burning truths were snatched at and de- 
voured. Pleadings for the Christ and for 



18 



FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE 

the facts of the Gospel overflowed in pun- 
gent, irresistible editorials, until the trickery 
of the religious mountebank and the char- 
latanism of stiff-necked divines were buried 
out of sight. No fair-minded man cared to 
resist the invasion of a printed page whose 
purpose, manifestly, was the good of all. It 
might play havoc with his crude notions of 
salvation, but he soon found out that was 
the making of him. 

The merit of our earliest literature was 
its jpassion. It throbbed like the heart of a 
living being. In this it contrasted with 
the musty books of that day. These were 
more like dried specimens, tabulated and 
exhibited in glass cases. Ours had motive 
and vitality. It possessed the springiness 
of buoyant youth. It was loosened from 
the shrunken roots of an effete theology 
and put abroad upon its individual power 
and right. What a mission it had! About 
it were myriads of numb souls, to be roused 
to the consciousness of a higher life. The 
work was rare and difficult. Many must 
be led, step by step, like babes. There 
would be shifting phases of hope and fear. 
The broadening influence of the Gospel, at 



19 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

times, elated, and then, as theology seemed 
to escape, it alarmed. Next came the claim 
for union. Politically, this was welcome. 
But union in religious affairs was looked 
upon as a dangerous novelty, even if it were 
to be desired. Who had ever heard of such 
a thing? There might be compensations, 
but would they be equivalent to the losses? 
Where our writings first touched the mind 
the painfulness of the darkness asserted 
itself. But there was mystery and pain 
coming also with the excess of light. 
As the great principles of Gospel truth 
gained greater hold, much of this was 
assuaged. Truth brought with it its ac- 
companying blessings. Chief of all was 
reality. The unseen was no longer filled 
with shadows. Instead, there was the sense 
of security; finding its home and center in 
a living and obedient faith. 

To the people of that day it was a new 
ideal. They had grovelled long enough in 
the ignorance and the vanities of the mis- 
guided. It had been to them a sorry affair. 
What they had taken for an impulse of the 
Spirit had proved to be a delusion of the 
devil ; and the light which so dazzled them 



20 



FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE 

they found to be but an ignis fatuus, lead- 
ing them constantly round in a circle. Faith 
and fanaticism were wedded to each other, 
producing a mongrel progeny. 

The power of all this was to be broken. 
A new regime had set in and it was des- 
tined to win. Traces of the inevitable strug- 
gle were seen in every issue from the press. 
This week it was a sermon, the next a de- 
bate. There was too much onslaught for 
serenity. The Lord Christ had been mini- 
fied. His authority had been set at naught. 
His place in the hearts of men had been 
usurped by the sorcery of dreams and the 
severities of a hopeless theology. To our 
people this was unendurable. Such a con- 
dition of things decided the spirit of our 
literature. It was one of defiant and 
aggressive assertion, denial and argument. 
The Scriptures were arrayed like so much 
abatis about a fort. Whom they touched 
they pierced. It was fight first and fellow- 
ship afterward. Really, the time for the 
sanctifying of the Spirit had not yet come. 
Those who were not engaged in destroying 
false foundations were either examining 
their own or writing such doggerel, in de- 



21 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

rision of our plea, as their constituents de- 
manded. 

It is a sad affair in any era, when litera- 
ture is commanded or controlled by the 
prejudice of the people. When authors 
furnish that which ignorant or dogmatic 
readers demand the result is that the reader 
is lord of the writer. Writers should be the 
leaders of thought. The mind should work 
free and according to its inspirations. Its 
fruits should not be forced, but spontaneous. 
But as literature becomes more and more an 
article of commerce it is beset with tempta- 
tions. For commerce is also lord and 
compels its subjects to yield to its imperious 
behests. The average author may struggle 
against these mighty powers ; he may writhe 
under their tyranny; but if he retains his 
position in the field of letters his resistance 
will probably slacken, and so he becomes a 
slave. This is peculiarly objectionable 
when religious literature is the considera- 
tion. For then we are dealing with prin- 
ciples of truth, whose function is to expand 
the mind and glorify life. One must then, 
also, deal with the mandate of Jehovah, and 
a vigorous and impartial application of that 



22 



FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE 

law, backed by its tremendous sanctions, to 
the conduct and temper of the reader, is 
liable to turn at once the whole tide of popu- 
larity, leaving the writer stranded and deso- 
late. Only good and true men can resist 
such temptation to compromise. Our hope 
for edification rests in them. 

To give, now, some little attention to the 
composition of our literature. Our early 
writers were usually in the front rank, for 
their work was new and original, and the 
impulse to execute it was to them an in- 
spiration. Much of it would be an honor 
to any one. One can select passages from 
it as fair and as fine as anything extant. 
For several years its impulse preserved 
and propelled it onward. But gradually, by 
the law of reaction, it began to deteriorate. 
Occasionally there was a writer that kept 
up its spirit, but we speak of the mass. It 
must be that there shall come periods of 
rest. Alexander Procter said once to me: 
"We are in the trough of the sea, between 
two waves ; one is past, the other to come." 
When one realizes how our literature, as a 
body, has improved during the last quarter 
of a century, his saying appears to be jus- 



23 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

tified. Hamilton Mabie recognizes the fact 
that all literature has its period of decadence 
as well as its period of renewal. "After a 
rest the soul recovers its freshness of feel- 
ing and its faith in the promises of life." As 
a description of our medieval literature, I 
venture to quote him : "In ages of decadence 
literature discloses its intimate and neces- 
sary relation with the totality of life quite 
as distinctly as in ages of faith and progres- 
sion. ... It becomes derivative in- 
stead of original; reproducing faintly a 
greater past instead of fashioning new 
forms and interpreting new ideas. It loses 
variety and follows imitatively and timidly 
the lines marked out in more vigorous 
periods. It is conventional in thought, cor- 
rect in form, cold, formal and barren of 
any real and contagious influence." 

Again, we must remember while contem- 
plating the growth and development of our 
writings that it is not with us as with the 
secular literary worker. The work is not 
the pre-eminent thing. Literature was 
never an art with us. The statement of the 
religious idea or fact was our chief concern. 
To embellish it was secondary, if at all. 



24 



FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE 

Many of us still seem to care little for bal- 
ance of sentences, perspective, climax and 
things like these. However, a neatly turned 
thought is surely a worthy attainment, for 
it looks toward immortality. May I remark, 
without offense, how strangely it has been 
overlooked ? If the critic is right in assert- 
ing that literature consists in the very best 
thoughts of men and women, happily ex- 
pressed, I shall venture to suggest, as an 
incidental remark, that some material 
known to us as Our Literature, is simply 
what the merchant tailor would call a mis- 
fit. Take some of our books of sermons, 
for example. To be sure, there are notable 
exceptions ; but for the rest what better 
characterization can be had than that they 
are empty commonplaces abounding with 
echoes ? 

Why does a man publish when he has 
nothing to say ? Why does he not read and 
digest, then reflect, think and mature some- 
thing? Why does he not, if a beginner, 
write out his opinions for the culture of it, 
and then thrust them in the stove? Is it 
because he has an itch for print? Is it be- 
cause he desires to behold his natural face 



25 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

in a glass? Does he not know that the 
child of his brain is stillborn and that every 
one but himself is impatient for its burial? 
. . . But the farther I go the worse it 
appears; so I refrain. 

Alas ! All is not gold that glitters, and I 
suppose it comes natural for every one of 
us, sooner or later, to deceive ourselves. Is 
it not a matter to rejoice over that we have 
a few diamonds, which take a fine polish 
and still more in reserve? Perhaps I have 
spoken of our work too severely, and if so 
I ask the reader's pardon. I would not be 
unduly censorious, for this takes all the 
color and the joy out of life. It is only my 
desire to have the brotherhood realize its 
opportunity, and to do all in its power to 
place itself successfully before the world 
that urges me to this. ... All the 
while it should be remembered that if we 
suffer somewhat in these comparisons, it is 
because critics have the best literature of 
the world in their mind's eye. To place our- 
selves side by side with the literary artist 
hurts. And yet, compared with denomina- 
tional literature, we do not suffer so badly, 
but we still suffer somewhat. While we 



26 



FORMATION OF THE LITERATURE 

have been spurred on by the attacks of our 
rivals, and, so far, have been helped, it is 
a joy to know that it is the broad, noble- 
spirited literature that has helped us most 
of all. We shall never be able to pay the 
debt we owe to such authors as Channing 
and Beecher, Denney and Dods, Smyth and 
Fairbairn. 

This seems to be the place for commend- 
ing our brainy young men for their effort 
to obtain the best collegiate advantages. If 
I venture to offer them any counsel it must 
have reference solely to their literary 
growth and prospective authorship. It 
goes without defense that the Bible is the 
textbook. Take that with you and utilize 
every appliance toward its mastery. Listen 
attentively to all interpretations of it. Do 
not dogmatize, for this is the highway to 
doubt and frequently to despair. Many a 
young man has been ruined by plunging 
into a class of ideas too broad for him. It 
was his creed or nothing, and the alterna- 
tive came speeding along. Not every one 
can leap from the bottom to the top. Schools 
should be chosen with this in view. On the 
Other hand, do not be in a hurry to take up 



27 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

the religious chatter of the school. Be 
yourself and be original. Train to that end. 
It Is not collegiate knowledge, nor bias in 
dogma, any man needs so much as power 
to think and act. Power to dig into holy 
writ and extract its values. Power to set 
forth the eternal purpose of Jehovah. 
Agonize to enter into this gateway and a 
victory awaits you. If it makes your heart 
any warmer to hear it, be assured that our 
hope for an excellent literature rests largely 
in you. 



28 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 



III. 

CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERA- 
TURE. 

In opening up this chapter our thought, 
first of all, fixes upon tendencies. Since 
the leadership of Isaac Errett and his asso- 
ciates into more spiritual paths of thought, 
two schools of literature have been devel- 
oped among us, one of which has been 
marked for its penetration of vision and its 
fresh revelations of life; the other for its 
tenacious grasp upon well-worn truths and 
its insistence on dogmatic interpretations. 
To say there has been no friction between 
them would be incorrect. There has, and 
much of it has led to unhappiness. Yet 
there has come to both great benefit. Each 
has been spurred by the other to more ac- 
curacy ; and, out of rivalry, to nobler deeds. 
To be sure, self has too often entered, mar- 
ring the serenity of the brotherhood, for 
personality is ever dominant and assertive. 

29 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

"No man can study life save from the 
point of view where he finds himself." The 
question is where does he find himself? Is 
it in the midst of the spacious field of truth, 
with room for enlargement and correction, 
or is it at the end of his row ? It seems that 
all writers are not capable of seeing and 
expressing the mighty, onrushing truths 
and facts which sweep before them. Their 
eyes are preoccupied, allowing generous 
opportunities to escape them. And yet 
such is the fertility of thought resulting 
from the opposition and harmony of truths 
that it would be strange indeed if new ideas 
did not sometimes come to light, leading 
one into broader scopes. The fact is that 
it is this which, more than all else, propels 
the world through the corridors of time. 
There are always great groups of facts 
gathering about a new idea which compel 
consideration. Refuse it and one loses his 
reckoning with the age and becomes be- 
wildered or indifferent. Grant it and the 
gift to you is a greater measure of use- 
fulness. 

There is something, however, greater 
even than truth, and that is life. A true 



30 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

view of this is the one essential thing. For 
in all free and outpushing life there are 
tendencies that rise and expand. There 
come to such spirits hints of movements 
which are yet to touch our intellectual lives 
with fresh impulse, and if it were not so 
human destiny, in so far as it is royal, 
would exhaust itself and die away. It is 
this which puts us in love with life, with 
its facts and its ideals, with its changes and 
its constancies, and with its perpetual unity 
of development. To put it in other words 
in his normal condition, there is a relation- 
ship between man and God which is potent 
in leading out the child into the infinitudes 
of the Father, and which refuses to be con- 
tent wnth present attainments of truth.* 

How essential it is that we preserve this 
normal condition, and yet how easy it is to 
vitiate it. Man always has his heart set on 
something — often he takes the means for 
the end. A noted instance would be the 
worship of truth rather than God. To 
pride oneself in Biblical knowledge — ^to be 
exacting in doctrine, even to the very letter, 
though it makes battle with truth itself, 

*Suggested by H. W. Mabie. 



31 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

with toleration, and with brotherly love — 
to insist on one's own rectitude though it 
casts a doubt on that of others — these char- 
acteristics are not only ugly, they really 
draw one's soul down from its loftiest 
aspirations and tend steadily to its dwarfing. 
The alarming features about it are that 
these evils are brought about by the abuse 
of an agency, the use of which is no less 
than divine; and that one may become so 
blind to its results as to persist in its justifi- 
cation. Happy is he who foresees and shuns 
this fault. He will be apt to be buoyant 
and joyous, for he will be in the right con- 
dition of mind to lay hold of the great 
things of God. Such a character will let 
nothing take away his heart from the truth, 
or from its love for his fellows, or from his 
devotion to the Christ. 

In classifying our leading works I have 
decided not to discriminate. The above 
caution is deemed sufficient. Writers will 
be found representing the conservative and 
progressive element. As it were, motors 
to push the car of salvation onward, and 
brakes to check its too rapid speed. Let 
us all pray that there may be no mad dashes 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

round the curves of truth, and no setting 
fast the brakes while climbing the hill of 
holy enterprise. 

In the work before me, then, my chief 
question is this : Is there ability enough in 
a pamphlet or book to justify its mention? 
If so, I shall mention it, allowing the reader 
of it to decide as to its value to him. True, 
I give a hint, here and there, but rarely, if 
ever, is it derogatory. Our Benjamin 
Franklin once said, "'You do not have to 
gnaw into the bone of a ham to learn 
whether or not it is tainted." So say I, and, 
so, to business. 

The prominent elements in religious liter- 
ature are Life, Deeds, Stress, Biblical 
Thought, Instruction, Appeal, Narration 
and Meditation. Corresponding to these 
are Biography, History, Controversy, Exe- 
gesis, Didactics, Sermons and Addresses, 
Narrative and Fiction, Devotional. Under 
these heads we hope to embrace such liter- 
ature as may present itself. 

BIOGRAPHY. One of the most compre- 
hensive styles of biography is that which 
unites life, deeds and dogma, for then one 
gets the whole thing, fused and unitized. 

33 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

This is remarkably well done in Richard- 
son's Memoirs of Alexander Campbell. 
All important declarations, pleas and papers, 
describing preliminary steps, are woven into 
this work, so that one gets a clear idea of 
our movement, so far as it relates to the 
Campbells. J. S. Lamar's Life of Isaac 
Errett deals with a later period, taking up 
the educational and spiritual progress of the 
church, and, therefore, comes in next. Then 
for a spicy statement of the wiles and tricks 
of the adversary and his literal demolition, 
one must read John Augustus Williams' 
Life of ''Raccoon'' John Smith. These 
three works have long been considered by 
us as classics. A. S. Hayden has given us a 
useful sketch of The Early Disciples of 
THE Western Reserve oe Ohio; J. M. 
Mathes offers us the products of twenty- 
eight Indiana preachers; and T. P. Haley 
has given a voluminous sketch, embracing, 
I should say, every pioneer preacher in 
Missouri. The best of these three books is 
this — that their authors knew their char- 
acters personally, so that he who reads them 
gets the real stuff. The Life and Times 
OF Benjamin Franklin, deals also with 



34 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

his most famous associates, and opponents, 
also giving a concise history of that period 
of our reformation. F. M. Green and B. A. 
Hinsdale has each given us a life of James 
A. Garfield, unfolding his educational, 
political and religious career. John Shackle- 
ford has made us his debtor by The Life:, 
IvSTTe:rs and Addri:sses of that nobleman, 
L. L. Pinkerton. James M. Mathes is the 
author of The: hi'^t and Works of Barton 
W. Stone. John Rogers wrote the life of 
his fellow evangelist, John T. Johnson. 
F. D. Power deals with the IvII^e: and Times 
of W. K. Pendleton in an unusually mas- 
terly way. William Baxter was a biog- 
rapher, as well as a poet, having written the 
lives of Walter Scott and Knowles Shaw, 
the two famous evangelists. M. M. Davis 
is developing talent in describing Biblical 
heroes, such as Elijah and Joshua, and in 
writing oratorios, like Queen Esther. D. R. 
Dungan has also written on Moses, and J. B. 
Ellis, as fictional matter, on Adnah and 
Shem. Bible characters are worthy of 
the most profound study, and it is to 
be hoped that this field will obtain at- 
tention. George H. Combs has opened 



35 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

Up a new path for us in his Christ 
IN Modern Engush Literature. This 
should also gain more workers. H. S. Lo- 
bingier, a man of classical attainment, has 
written The Man in the Book^ being a 
life of Jesus from the high point of poetic 
and philosophical comprehension. B. A. 
Hinsdale, a professor of pedagogy in Mich- 
igan University for years, discusses jESUS, 
as a Teacher^ in which he deals with his 
education; his insight into mind and char- 
acter ; his relation to tradition and legalism ; 
his use of the Scriptures; his historical 
antecedents; his institutions, authority and 
use of accommodation, and his methods of 
teaching. H. C. Patterson, himself a useful 
evangelist, has given us Our Living Evan- 
GEUSTS, being a sermon from each of the 
seventeen preachers he has selected, as also 
a brief sketch of each, with an excellent 
portrait. Mrs. Mary B. Clayton published 
reminiscences of Judge J. S. Black, an elder 
of the church at Somerset, Pa., one of the 
ablest Jurists of America, and the annihi- 
lator of Ingersoll, in an article first pub- 
lished in the North American Review. P. 
Donan is responsible for the Autobiography 



36 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

and Biography of the two Creaths. 

HISTORICAL. While reference to much 
of our best history will be found in the 
Biographical Department, we place at the 
head of this list, Campbell's Christian 
Baptist and the MiIvIvEnniai, Harbinger^ 
as those works which develop our career, 
line upon line, in challenge, response, essay, 
letter, discussion — in short, in all that went 
into the makeup of our individuality. Then 
there are auxiliary works, such as Gar- 
rison's Reformation of the Nineteenth 
Century, being different periods treated by 
several writers ; T. W. Grafton's Life and 
Times of Campbei^l ; Errett Gates' The 

EaRIvY REI.ATION AND SEPARATION OF 

Baptists and Disciples, and Charles A. 
Young's HisTORicAi. Documents Advo- 
cating Christian Union. B. A. Hins- 
dale wrote an able book on The Origin 
AND Early Growth and Place of Ec- 
clesiastical Tradition. Archibald Mc- 
Lean is our authority on the history of 
Christian missions. It is said that he is so 
full of this subject that he rarely repeats 
himself in his addresses. G. A. Hoffmann 
is our statistician. Anything he does not 



37 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

know regarding bur growth is not worth 
knowing. Of another sort is McGarvey's 
Lands of the Bibi^e and Dr. Barclay's 
City of the Great King, but very valua- 
ble for reference. It is also to be noted of 
these last two books that they are among 
the few that get beyond our own ranks. I 
saw the last one cited by a great English 
authority in 1905. Men of Yesterday, by 
T. W. Grafton, deals largely with past 
times, and grouping facts of various kinds 
about these men, as all good biography 
must, we are carried over the line into the 
historic realm. The Discipi^es of Christ, 
by Errett Gates, is replete with such 
thought as a scholarly man knows well how 
to use. B. A. Hinsdale wrote some masterly 
articles on ecclesiastical history in Moore's 
Quarterly (first series). W. K. Pendleton 
wrote a tract on The Connection Be- 
tween Baptism and Remission of Sins, 
HisTORiCAivi^Y Considered. F. M. Green 
gave us a book on The History of Mis- 
sions. Famiuar Lectures on the Pen- 
tateuch, by Alexander Campbell, edited 
by W. T. Moore, comes within the historic 
scope, as it considers the patriarchs and 



38 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

Hebrews in their order. Quite recently 
W. T. Moore has written The Pi^Ea of 
THE DisciPivES OF Christ, newly stated 
and critically examined. This, though a 
small book, like small parcels, is packed 
with the best of things. Its historical fea- 
ture consists in the growth of ideas, rather 
than the development of facts. 

B. L. Smith has done a good thing in so 
abbreviating The Mii^lenniai. Harbinger 
as to compress it into two volumes, without 
serious damage to its continuity and with- 
out the loss of its spirit. There are several 
states wherein some faithful writer should 
look up the record of his brethren and 
embalm the best quality in the pages of his- 
tory. These men and women were worthy 
enough to labor for you. Why not deem 
their work worthy of a memorial ? Take, for 
example, that fine, old, scholarly veteran, 
John A. Dearborn, formerly of Virginia. I 
doubt not, in his day, he was a tower of 
strength to his favorite state. Even now, 
verging on 80 years of age, very few writers 
can equal him. I recall that he read a paper 
not more than a year since which so took 
possession of us that for a while every voice 



39 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

was dumb for joy. His ability and his 
pathos had taken speech from us. Who ever 
hears any more of W. A. Belding, of New 
York state ? And yet, here was a man who 
once had the care of all the eastern churches 
on his heart and their histories on his 
tongue's end. Such reminiscences as his 
and Dearborn's would be a local history of 
our work. Nor should such a service be 
neglected. But I close by appending the 
names of two or three more of these 
worthies: Peter Russell, of Iowa; E. P. 
Belshe, of Illinois. These two, in their day, 
made sectarians tremble. " Also George W. 
Minier, of Illinois, a man who always made 
me think of John the Apostle. Samuel K. 
Houshour, of Indiana, a writer, by the way, 
of great merit, must not be overlooked. 
These were the sort of men that made his- 
tory. 

CONTROVERSY. At the head of this 
list, by common consent, stands Campbell's 
masterly discussions with Owen, Purcell 
and Rice upon Infidelity, Catholicism and 
Pedo-Baptist questions. As a great com- 
parative work, I next place Walter Scott's 
Th^ Messiahship. Then, I think, that as 



40 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

brilliant and exhaustive controversial 
writers we must mention Isaac Errett, Ben- 
jamin Franklin and L. B. Wilkes. For great 
ability of a negative order, Clark Braden's 
debate with Hughey and his Probi^Em of 
ProbIvKms should be remembered. J. B. 
Briney has done valuable controversial 
work on the subject of Baptism. J. A. Lord 
is gifted in dogmatics, some of his edito- 
rials being fine specimens of the historic 
and theological in conjunction. As leaders 
of modern controversy in new directions, I 
mention J. H. Garrison and Herbert L. 
Willett. W. T. Moore has done a lot of 
good work in his books and quarterlies. His 
masterpiece is Man_, in Preparation For 
Other Wori^ds. I do not know whether 
I should include four first-class men, unless 
it be for the measure with which they fer- 
tilized the mind, for they wrote but little, 
and always well, but if so, I should cer- 
tainly honor O. A. Burgess and John S. 
Sweeney as the prince of debaters among 
us (the latter has an able discussion with 
Manford on Universalism) ; and Alexander 
Procter and George W. Longan, as having 
had no equals in Missouri for expanding 



41 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

the minds of the brotherhood by the inser- 
tion of new and broadening thought. Other 
men noted in their day for forensic abiUty 
were A. I. Hobbs, J. T. Walsh and the once 
celebrated Alexander Hall. This last wrote 
Universausm Against Itsei^f and The 
PROBi,i:M OF Human I^ife. Perhaps the 
most thorough dissection ever given to the 
work of a bitter enemy was that of Moses E. 
Lard, when he handled J. B. Jeter's work 
on ''Campbellism." George Plattenburg was 
one of the ablest writers in Missouri or — 
anywhere. His work is contained in Mis- 
souri Lectures. George T. Carpenter 
proved a strong writer in his written de- 
bate with Hughes on The Destiny of the 
Wicked. Claiming James A. Garfield as 
ours, we match his addresses and writings 
with anything extant. Peter Vogel took 
part in an exhaustive discussion with Mr. 
Wagner on The Sabbath Question, but 
the book, I think, is out of print. If so, both 
Dungan and A. M. Weston have similar 
works. Jonas Hartzell was one of the lead- 
ing writers in Iowa twoscore years ago, his 
chief works being on The Baptismal 
Controversy, The Covenants and The 



42 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

Divinity of Jesus. For subtle and spir- 
itual work on a problem such as "Con- 
science" and ''Intuitions" afford, A. B. 
Jones easily stands at the head. May I re- 
mark that there are many self-appointed 
disputants, who, somehow, get into papers 
and pulpits, much to the grief of their bet- 
ters? Such persons should wait for en- 
dorsement. 

Alfred Fairhurst has a scholarly discus- 
sion on Organic EvoIvUTion Conside:rkd. 
It was highly commended by H. W. Everest. 
G. W. Longan's book on The: Origin 
OF THE DisciPEES OF Christ is a review of 
Professor Whitsett's book bearing the same 
title. Whitsett is a Baptist, loaded down 
with prejudice, but he fell into capable 
hands for the right correction. 

EXEGESIS. George W. Longan well 
says, "In questions of minute exegesis, 
where microscopical forms of truth — such 
as are many of the subtleties of the theo- 
logians — are involved, there is large space 
for honest difference. In addition to these 
things there is the natural aptitude, the 
mental equipoise, the impartiality, the crit- 
ical acumen of the interpreter himself." The 



43 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

things he refers to are questions of lexi- 
cography, syntax, literal passages and figur- 
ative passages, symbols of prophecy, 
tropes of Oriental poetry and the analogy 
of faith. All of these cut a figure in the 
correct interpretation of the Scriptures, and 
one would do well to obtain such aid as J. S. 
Lamar and Clinton Lockhart furnish in 
their books on that subject. Milligan's 
Reason and Re:ve:i,ation is also a safe and 
helpful work. Lard's Quarterly, though 
hard now to obtain, contains some of the 
best work of Grubbs, McGarvey, Longan, 
Wilkes, Christopher and the editor. L^pon 
such questions as pertain to the Holy Spirit 
there is exhaustive discussion, whatever 
view one may take. Brethren having copies 
of this famous Quarterly should present 
them to thoughtful young preachers. Then 
come W. T. Moore's Quarterlies, in two 
series, and also a short series edited by J. H. 
Garrison. The style of these differs some- 
what from Lard's. The analytical period 
was passing and the constructive was again 
setting in. Here you find the best work of 
Errett, Hinsdale, Pendleton, Graham, Loos, 
Munnell, Lamar, J. J. Haley, the editors 



44 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

and others. Dr. Herndon and his associates 
published a quarterly of quite a conserva- 
tive character. J. B. Briney published a 
monthly of the same stamp. Touching 
upon books, I begin with Christopher's 
Remedial System, a book remarkably 
neglected, when one thinks of its splendid 
thinking. B. A. Hinsdale published a little 
book entitled The Jewish Christian 
Church that set all the Acts-of-the-Apos- 
tles men agog. H. W. Everest, one of our 
strongest and sweetest men, put out a book 
on evidences, entitled The Divine Dem- 
onstration, so fresh and so full, so every 
way adapted to inquiring youth, that it was 
adopted in the course of several colleges. 
N. W. Aylsworth's Moral and Spiritual 
Aspects oi^ Baptism so delighted A. B. 
Jones that it became the occasion for one 
of his best spiritual serials. W. E. Garrison 
has produced in his Theology of Alex- 
ander Campbell a book that challenges 
the closest attention of the critics. Herbert 
L. Willett has vindicated himself splendidly 
from silly charges of heresy in his Basic 
Truths. To step back an age, Isaac 
Errett's Evenings With the Bible, con- 



45 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

sisting of biography, history, narrative and 
exegesis, therefore being difficult to clas- 
sify, hold their own against any amount of 
odds. Why? Simply because the author 
was endowed with a large share of literary 
sense, and knew how to use it. Of course, 
he had magnificent themes, but he had no 
monopoly of them. B. C. Deweese has done 
some valuable original work for our period- 
icals in exegesis — outside of the question of 
Baptism — remember ! There are other pro- 
fessors, had they more leisure from inces- 
sant toil, who might give us great insight 
into the Greek thought on many New Tes- 
tament truths, let us say, after the order 
of Marvin Vincent's Word Studies. The 
students of the colleges get plenty of this, 
but what about us poor fellows ? 

Now, a word about the commentaries. 
McGarvey gave us Matthew and Mark ; 
Lamar, Luke; McGarvey, Acts; Lard, Ro- 
mans ; Milligan, Hebrews ; J. L. Martin, J. 
G. Encell, J. S. Hughes and B. W. Johnson, 
Revelation. J. S. Hughes has also made a 
close study of John. Then, there is a com- 
mentary covering the whole of the New 
Testament by the scholarly B. W. Johnson. 



46 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

Under this head we rank translations also. 
Alexander Campbell takes precedence with 
the Living OracIvES. It is amusing, or 
would be if not too serious, how our 
preachers got scared out of using this book 
by the howl of their opponents. The way 
they flew back to King James was a caution. 
Listen! With all our modern scholarship 
the Living Oracles are not obsolete. Take 
them down off the top shelf, brush the dust 
off them, and indulge in a few feeds from 
them. It will make you fat in the Word. 
H. T. Anderson, one of the purest spirits 
that ever lived, innocent as a child, and a 
scholar that Tischendorf need not be 
ashamed of, devoted his life to the work of 
translating the New Testament. 

DIDACTICS. F. D. Power has written 
Sketches oi^ Our Pioneers for the Beth- 
any Reading Course. For the same course 
W. J. Lhamon prepared HEROES OF For- 
eign Missions, and H. L. Willett, The 
Lii^E AND Teachings of Jesus and Proph- 
ets OF Israel. There are four volumes of 
The Missouri Christian Lectures worth 
much to the investigator. In them will be 
found the work of men who often came 



47 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

500 miles, and came to an untrammelled 
lectureship, to give us their profoundest 
thought. Here you will find Errett's two 
lectures on Inspiration; Charles L. Loos' 
lectures on Hebrew Poetry ; B. C. Deweese, 
J. C. Reynolds and J. J. Haley on The 
Transient and Permanent Phases in Reve- 
lation ; The Standard of Appeal in Religious 
Thought, by F. D. Power ; Christian Unity, 
by H. W. Everest; The Gospel's Place in 
the Development of Humanity, by B. J. 
Radford; Materialistic Evolution, by Geo. 
Plattenburg; The Grounds of Christian 
Fellowship, by Isaac Errett; The Fourth 
Gospel, by G. W. Longan; Reason Why 
the Gospel Will Retain Its Hold on 
Thoughtful Minds, by A. Procter; The 
Two Revelations, by A. B. Jones, and many 
other thoughtful papers. J. H. Garrison 
has given us, besides his books mentioned 
elsewhere, Helps to Faith, a book the like 
of which has not appeared among us in ten 
years; A Mode:rn PIvEa i^or Ancient 
Truths, Congregationausts and Disci- 
ples, Our Movement, Its Origin and 
Aim, and other valuable discussions. 

To go back an age or two, we note, first, 



48 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

Campbell's Christian System. This is 
the book so often cited by our denomina- 
tional friends as our creed. It is in no 
sense a creed. I regret to say I find a copy 
in very few preacher's libraries. It is a book 
full of instruction, as is also his Christian 
Baptism. In these two books are his seed 
thoughts. I next mention W. K. Pendleton, 
the succeeding editor of the Mii^i^enniaIv 
Harbinger^, a man, metaphysical in his 
makeup, and gifted with felicitous phrase- 
ology, so that in a day of legalism, he helped 
much to maintain the balance of power in 
the thought of that time. Later on, L. B. 
Wilkes produced a splendid work on 
MoRAiv Evil,, dealing with predestination, 
restoration and the human will in salvation. 
S. R. Ezzell wrote The Great Legacy, an 
argument, cogent and clear, under the fig- 
ure of a will. 

In the Sunday-school line we have F. M. 
Green's Sunday-Schooi. Manual, con- 
taining many seed-thoughts for teachers, 
and describing the geography, topography, 
etc., of Palestine. Then, we have Bowling's 
series, covering all the grades, from the 
kindergarten to the Bible class student. 

49 
(4) — — 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

W. W. Dowling is a veteran in this work. 
He believes in doing one thing, and doing 
it well. He does not soar or scrape the 
skies. His business is with the children 
and youth, who are now on the earth, and 
those he reaches in good, sterling English. 
Every year he produces a valuable com- 
mentary on the lessons, besides the work 
done for intermediate and primary pupils. 

J. H. Hardin, a man who has served in 
the highest places of the Bible school work, 
both in office and on the field, has given us 
some of the results of his observations in 
The HeIvPKR. J. H. Bryan, of Iowa, is al- 
ways busy formulating thought into lessons 
of life, and has placed them in some hand- 
books. David S. Burnett edited the first 
Sunday-school library in the brotherhood, 
and was also a busy man in his day as a 
leader in other literature. B. B. Tyler has 
done faithful service as a member of the 
International Lesson Committee. Marion 
Stevenson and Philip Pendleton do good 
work; the latter, in conjunction with J. W. 
McGarvey, has published an independent 
series of lessons. 

D. R. Dungan has done a variety of work 

50 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

and always does it accurately. His RuM 
AND Its Re:medy is valuable as a temper- 
ance document. He has also written Mod- 
ern Phases oe Skepticism. George H. 
Combs has given us Some Latter-Day 
Religions. B. B. Tyler has done veteran 
service in his briefs of our plea, his letters 
to inquirers and to the churches. 

It occurs to me to say a word or two 
concerning our musical literature, for with- 
out song we should be indeed in a desert 
land. For many sweet verses we are in- 
debted to James Challen, Love H. Jamieson, 
W. T. Moore and Jessie Brown Pounds. 
For music, as well as words, to that sweet 
spirit, A. D. Fillmore, also to his sons; to 
Knowles Shaw, J. H. Rosecrans, W. E. M. 
Hackleman, C. C. Cline and others. Nor 
shall I fail to mark the great advance in our 
church hymnology. There is every evidence 
of thoughtfulness in our authors, and the 
responsive readings in the hymn book are 
a great aid to a right worship. 

What about suitable material for our 
Christian Endeavor people? To be sure, 
we are feeling our way nicely in our tran- 
sient literature, but if we are to properly 



51 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

educate, not to say Interest our young peo- 
ple, some competent writers must give their 
personal attention to the formation of at- 
tractive libraries. Books should be written 
that will help to establish faith, and create 
noble ideals, and they must be written in 
no goody style, but rather in that sincere 
and manly way that will catch the eye and 
heart. Who is able for this? Whoever is, 
get at once to the work; for lean indeed 
is that society which has not a fruitful liter- 
ature of its own. 

SERMONIC. Here we have large choice. 
Let us begin with Campbell's famous Ser- 
mon ON THE Law, to which I add his Pop- 
ular Lectures and Addresses. The Liv- 
ing PuivPiT, edited by W. T. Moore, divides 
the honors with The Old Faith Restated^ 
edited by J. H. Garrison. In the first we 
have fine literary sermons, fresh and full of 
good theologic meat; in the last, disserta- 
pons, blending history with metaphysics 
and theology — a charming compound for a 
^devouring student — as witness some of the 
contents : ''Grounds on Which We Receive 
the Bible as the Word of God," etc., by 
McGarvey; "Grounds on Which We Ac- 



S2 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

cept Jesus as Messiah," by Longan; 
''Grounds of Man's Need of Salvation," by 
Lamar; ''The Progress of Revelation," by 
J. T. Haley. I have given the reader the 
first four sermons only. The others are up 
to the standard. The last. Lessons from 
Our Past Experience, by J. H. Garrison, 
should be overlooked by no one. It is full 
of nubs. F. G. Allen wrote an able lot of 
sermons, well deserving its title, The 
AposToiyic Guide, whether it is precisely 
this or not. J. C. Reynolds, the ex-Nestor of 
our journalism, has a volume of twelve ser- 
mons, styled The Moberly Pulpit. Here 
is a man who read his little Greek Testa- 
ment as regularly as he ate his bread and 
butter. J. PL Painter edited a volume of 
Iowa sermons, containing a brief sketch of 
the lives of those whose sermons he used. 
B. K. Smith wrote Serial, Discourses, in 
which "a brief synopsis of the Scheme of 
Redemption" was found. John T. Walsh 
put eighteen sermons between lids. N. E. 
Cory published The PoIvYMAThist, a book 
containing essays on pastoral work, exege- 
ses of Scripture, homiletics and briefs of 
sermons. Alexander Procter's best ser- 



53 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

mons were edited by J. H. Garrison. Brents 
has a volume on Thi^ Pi.an of Sai<vation^ 
and R. T. Mathews' Evangelistic Ser- 
mons are noted for their freshness and 
simpHcity. Goodwin published The Fam- 
ily Companion, a book quite popular in 
its day, in which the old themes are treated 
in the old way. J. Z. Tyler issued a volume 
on The Kinship of Christ and Other 
Sermons. J. M. Trible, for a short time 
only president of Bethany, where he died, 
produced sermons that were like all his 
work, labored and comprehensive. E. L. 
Powell has given to the brotherhood the 
product of good scholarship in a volume or 
two of sermons, his latest, The Victory of 
Faith, and though somewhat out of this 
class, I will also commend his Savonarola 
for ornate diction. I think we may call 
Isaac Errett's Walks About Jerusalem 
and Talks to BerEans, and also Lamar's 
First Principles and Perfection, short 
sermons, without doing violence to our for- 
mula. A curiosity in our sermon literature 
is T. W. Caskey; His Book. How like 
Texas It is ! 

Several brethren have developed a high 



54 



CLAS.SIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

grade of sermonizing for our journals, 
among whom I mention H. O. Breeden, 
Charles S. Medbury, the Philputts, F. D. 
Power, Z. T. Sweeney, J. B. Jones, W. J. 
Russell, M. M. Goode, E. L. Powell, W. F. 
Richardson, J. A. Lord, J. H. Garrison, 
Herbert L. Willett and the beloved George 
Darsie. 

ADDRESSES. This paragraph I devote 
to the women of the church. "Women's 
work in the church is no novelty invented 
by this ingenious, innovating nineteenth 
century. It has been seen in various forms 
during all ages of Christendom, and it may 
be traced back to noble precedents in New 
Testament times. Nearly every woman 
among the early disciples mentioned in the 
Gospels, the Acts and the Epistles, is asso- 
ciated with some form of Christian service. 
The primitive churches were hives of in- 
dustry, and the work carried on in them 
was largely of such a character that women 
could take a prominent place in it. For the 
most part this consisted in acts of charity 
done for the benefit of the poor."* This is 
the true spirit, whether in woman or man.- 



*W. F. Adeney. 

55 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

It is this affection for the helpless that gives 
rise to such yearnings as are manifest in 
their convention addresses. Such women 
as Mrs. O. A. Burgess and Mrs. Atkinson 
went on their knees to God before they 
v^rote their appeals. The glow of love 
gleamed on their faces as they gave us their 
high call to duty. Here in Missouri, the 
voices of Mrs. J. H. Garrison, Mrs. Vir- 
ginia Hedges, Mrs. E. J. Lampton, Mrs. 
J. K. Rogers, Mrs. Peed and Mrs. Mary 
Wisdom Grant sounded with clarion ring 
for foreign missions. Their papers dealt 
with the facts, and their arguments were 
cogent. Their rhetoric was cha-ste, and 
their elocution was usually excellent. Be- 
yond Missouri they found women to emu- 
late in Mrs. Joseph King, Mrs. Atwater, 
Mrs. Prince, Mrs. Christian, Mrs. Helen E. 
Moses, Mrs. Luella St. Clair and Mrs. O. A. 
Carr. And while my chief business here 
is with their written addresses, I can not 
forbear felicitating them all on their other 
good work. The Scripture says, "A little 
child shall lead them" ; but it also says, "A 
woman shall encompass a man" (Jer. 
31 :22), and that's what they have done for 



56 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITKRATURE 

US. Beyond doubt they are in the lead — 
that is, all except their voices. No woman 
should accept a position on a program un- 
less she feels sure she can make herself 
heard. If there is any hope of this, take 
the work, and then compel victory by daily 
drill. There is no short route to vocal suc- 
cess. 

NARRATION. Under this head I have 
decided to group two classes, that of nar- 
rative and romance. Let us begin with such 
writers as Durban, Willis, Power, Bagby 
and Tyler. Nor must we overlook Z. T. 
Sweeney's Travei^s Round the: World. 
He is interesting, even in a ''Report on 
Fish." Here are men who delight them- 
selves and others by furnishing us racy 
letters, touched by .the finger of fancy, but 
always well ballasted with incident. Of 
this sort of literature W. E. Garrison is 
quite capable, as witness his -WHEEiyiNG 
Through Europe. Champ Clark has a 
gift for personalities — biting, but bracing. 
Willett has given us the benefit of his 
visions abroad. The Editor's Easy Chair 
never rocks one to sleep. F. M. Green's 
articles were always read with avidity — why 



57 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

not now? W. F. Richardson, in his con- 
versations, is full of good material for the 
pen. John S. Sweeney must be rich in 
reminiscence, if, at times, somewhat im- 
aginative. It has occurred to me he might 
do well on a piece of fiction. But could he 
equal D. R. Dungan or D. R. Lucas? Just 
a word here as to our utility of fiction in 
reaching the undecided mind. Who will 
ever know all the good done by such works 
as On the Rock^ Chang Fog, or Rosa 
GiL\Y? Or, take D. R. Lucas' Paul Darst. 
J. H. Stark has gained quite a reputation 
with his Mary Ardmore and Hugh Car- 
UN. One is written to describe the test of 
faith ; the other the triumph of truth. John 
Augustus Williams has produced a story of 
the lodge, the church and the school in 
Rose Emerson. ]\Iany of the incidents in 
this fine work were real, and can be recalled 
by elderly people, who dwelt in that section 
of Kentucky. True, as I have said else- 
where, these books are not remarkable for 
artistic finish. But who cares? They are 
written in good, plain English, and — they 
have a nub to them. Judge Schofield, in 
his AivTAR Stairs, shows an ability to mass 



58 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

his thought and still delineate character. 
. . . But here come the ladies, in a 
troop, urging their claims. First, there is 
Mrs. Marie R. Butler, with her Riverside ; 
then Margaret Frances, with RosE Cari^e- 
ton's Reward; Fannie Christopher, with 
Duke Christopher andBARTHOi^ET Mii^on. 
Mrs. M. M. B. Goodwin, who was busy 
year after year as a pioneer in this depart- 
ment, producing stories, sermons for chil- 
dren, poems, etc., etc. Then there was 
Helen A. Rains, of sainted memory, and 
last Mrs. Jessie Brown Pounds, hymnist, 
poet and story-teller. In the QuEEn's 
Gardens, a serial published in The Chris- 
tian-Evangelist in November, 1902, Mrs. 
W. W. Wharton shows unusual strength, 
grace and outreach of thought. We should 
hear more from such writers. I have re- 
served for the last the children's popular 
writer, J. Breckenridge Ellis, who, to my 
thinking, is developing more wonderfully 
and inexhaustibly than any of our romance 
writers. There are good signs about. Many 
young writers are coming to the front, but 
who shall get there and stay? All can not 
hope even to be read. Frederick Harrison 



59 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DIvSCIPLES 

well says, "To organize our knowledge, to 
systematize our reading, to save, out of the 
relentless cataract of ink, the immortal 
thoughts of the greatest — this is a necessity, 
unless the productive ingenuity of man is 
to lead us at last to a measureless and path- 
less chaos." I should counsel, then, not to 
write until you have something worth say- 
ing. Obtaining this point, say it — clearly, 
comprehensively, classically. Then rest and 
feed the mind. Don't hurry into a new 
venture. Fill the cask and you will have no 
trouble in emptying it through the bung- 
hole. This is so much wiser than beating 
on an empty barrel. 

DEVOTIONAL. We are now at our last 
and best division. For busy as we have been 
as a people in planting the truth of the 
Christ in the minds and hearts of men, 
women and children, as time rolled on, we 
felt our great need of communion with God, 
and learned to look up to him, like David 
of old, to meditate and to muse his praise. 
One readily recalls Richardson's Commun- 
ings IN THE Sanctuary. Isaac Errett was 
a great help in establishing our devotional 
literature, for like our beloved Garrison, he 



60 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

was constantly penning his sweetest 
thoughts. J. H. Smart's pen was busy for 
years in leading our hearts to the Eternal. 
He has grouped much in Gems OI^ 
Thought. Everything that Herbert L. 
Willett writes is subdued and tinged with a 
holy aspiration. Every thought offered by 
A. B. Jones breathes with devotion (but 
especially his Spiritual Side of Our 
Plea). In past times Robert Milligan and 
W. K. Pendleton were priests unto their 
brethren, swinging the censer of holiness. 
And behind and beyond them all was good 
Father Thomas Campbell, whose life was 
written by his son. Alexander Campbell 
always had an hour of family devotion, 
when all his relations and servants were 
gathered about the altar. Archibald 
McEean, by his consecrated life, has won a 
national reputation. His Christian Mis- 
sions is devotion aflame. What was in 
these men came out in their books. Thus it 
is that whatever the nature of their work 
the spirit is that of Christ. I have already 
cited Errett's Evenings With The Bible, 
and I mention it again here because, with 
all else, it is also devotional. The tone of a 

(A 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

journal goes for much in the way of de- 
votion. There are weeklies which, if one 
reads steadily, will carry him up to God ; 
and there are others — . Aylesworth's Work 
ON Baptism and Garrison on The Holy 
Spirit, together with Richardson on The 
Holy Spirit, have a good devotional effect 
on me. Alone With God, the Heaven- 
ward Way and Half-Hour Studies at the 
Cross — all three by J. H. Garrison — are in- 
valuable for lifting the soul upward. J. B. 
Briney, during a spell of illness, wrote a 
devotional and practical book on The 
Temptation of Jesus. N. M. Ragland's 
Leaves From Mission Fields is not a 
mere compilation of dates and facts, but a 
living story of noble lives. It is a book of 
deep spiritual insight. 

Miss Lou Payne and Miss Graybiel have 
left memories behind them fragrant as sum- 
mer roses. Selina Huntingdon Campbell, 
who wrote the Reminiscences of her hus- 
band, thrilled every one she met by her 
humility. Such were the men and women 
who gave tone to our movement. Some of 
them poured out their gratitude in books 
and correspondence ; others silently, or in 



62 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

useful contact with their fellows. Some, 
like J. K. Rogers, W. J. Lhamon and J. B. 
Jones, impressed their religious life upon 
their pupils, and some, like the good sisters 
of the St. Louis Home for Orphans, live 
and labor for the helpless little ones. Some, 
at the call of God, take wives and children 
and hie away to foreign fields, to toil and 
endure while teaching savages the Gospel 
of Christ; and many a good girl has mar- 
ried a missionary who had nothing to prom- 
ise her but loyalty to herself and hardships 
for the sake of dying souls. These are the 
spirits, and these the conditions, out of 
which arises a holy literature. May God 
permit us to abound in them more and more. 
It is time to close this chapter. How im- 
perfectly the work is done, no one knows 
better than I. But enough is before you to 
see that we are not entirely destitute of 
literature. In this section we entered upon 
a difficult task. To organize our knowledge 
when there is no path before one, and to 
make a working selection of books for gen- 
eral study, especially when one absolutely 
confines himself to one's own writers, has 
been, as you must know, a great temptation. 



63 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

Again and again, fine scholars would pop 
up as I passed over lines of thought, seem- 
ing to say, "Take me! Take me!" But no, 
for my work was resolutely within our own 
ranks. For to us, as to others, there is a 
sound literary core, about which our in- 
dividuality is building, and I foster that. It 
is said that the idea of a purposeful force 
at the heart of the world is the center of 
evolutionary thought. Changing that ex- 
pression somewhat, is it not true that a pur- 
poseful force at the heart of Christian liter- 
ature is the center for great expectations? 
Writing of any kind is precious, dependent 
upon the spirit It enshrines. This is pecu- 
liarly true of religious writings, for they 
have a supreme end, and their work con- 
sists in keeping that end constantly in view. 
As the restless river flows on and on, dis- 
contented until it fulfills its purposes by 
emptying itself into the vast ocean, so the 
literature of a godly people moves forward 
fixedly, steadily, to its distant goal. Reli- 
gious literature is in no peril while the dom- 
inant Christian mind maintains its growth 
and integrity. For this mind has an instinct 
for the best quality of life. It unerringly 



G4 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE LITERATURE 

clings to this quality. It conserves it and 
lets all else drop away into oblivion. So it 
is that the very best ideas and purposes are 
wrought into our thought, helping to shape 
that thought, and finding their embodiment 
in permanent utterances. Every stroke of 
the spiritual pen enlarges and enriches our 
heritage. "It helps to convey the title deeds 
of a real possession to strangers and aliens, 
and it perpetuates our life to future genera- 
tions." Thus we live, first of all, in trustful 
service and ever after in our history. 



65 

153 ~ — 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 



IV. 



CONTRAST BETWEEN PRESENT 
AND PAST LITERATURE. 

All literature is governed, more or less, 
by what it is facing, and I, for one, feel 
grateful that ours was born before the era 
of new and exacting ideas. It gave us 
leisure to plant the embryo of our literature 
firmly in its native soil — The New Testa- 
ment teaching, where it is destined to stay 
forever. For I hold that whatever contin- 
gencies may arise we shall never consent 
to so degenerate, or to become so disloyal 
to the Christ as to be lured from the truths, 
and facts, and life of this Teacher by the 
catchy charms of any twentieth century 
siren. 

• As we sometimes learn best by contrast- 
ing different periods of development, I 
shall now digress for a few pages and then 
resume the early narration. Vagueness 
seems to be the delusion of the day, and 



66 



PRESENT AND PAST LITERATURE 

what is vague is of little value. Like a 
black frost, vagueness is spreading every- 
where, until science, belles-lettres, theology 
and all, are in danger of its influence. While 
one can hardly say that such a result is 
comforting, the cause seems to be necessary 
and therefore innocent. Interests have 
multiplied and with this comes an excess of 
ideas. The depths of every subject and of 
every sub-subject are being searched and 
recorded. Then multiply this by one hun- 
dred and you find yourself landing in the 
A, B, Cs. I was conversing with a leading 
physician recently on this matter, and he 
confirms me in my opinion. "Forty years 
ago," said he, "we had a few simple, vital 
principles, contained usually in three or 
four books, to which we referred with con- 
fidence and usually got good results. Now, 
one has to refer to great libraries, wading 
through a thousand theories concerning 
antitoxin, cures for consumption, and the 
like, each writer seeming to possess a re- 
taining fee for some school of surgery." 

(Of course, in making the following 
strictures, I do not include any well organ- 
ized body of Christians whose work speaks 



67 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

for it. I have my eye, rather, upon loose 
masses of people where our work lies.) 

Lord Bacon says that truth is more 
leadily derived from error than from con- 
fusion. To a less philosophic mind than 
his this looks like sailing away from Scylla 
to strike Charybdis. But if that be so, 
proud as one may feel of the world's 
progress, there must be aspects of life 
which can not be great improvements on the 
past. The world seems to have gotten be- 
yond the concrete age, when literature, like 
life, was simple and lucid, and when science 
consisted in a few plain principles. Where 
are we now ? If my vision is not distorted, 
before me rolls a sea of hypotheses, and 
myriads of adventurers afloat on it, many 
of them fighting their way through the 
foam, bewildered, and hopelessly seeking a 
harbor. What is so unpleasant about it is 
that this seems as true of theology as of 
everything else. Look at the work going 
on. How rarely is the nail struck on the 
head! Blow after blow descends, but how 
many of them lack force and direction! 
Instead of so writing as to give us the 
benefits of some great truth, the author 



68 



PRESENT AND PAST LITERATURE 

seems to advance in a zigzag, and, by that 
much, misses an entrance. Or he adopts 
a circular movement, but just before closing 
in, is apt to fly off at a tangent. Again, 
how many schemes are being perpetrated! 
Religious fancy, like a lady's jacket, is cut 
into scores of shapes. When in all the 
course of time have so many half-hatched 
notions ever been sprung on the world? 
More than ever before leaders resort to 
the Bible not to line up for Christ, but for 
some possible ephod and mitre, or at least 
for some startling phenomenon. There is 
no staying them. Any Biblical episode that 
will catch the eye and serve as a talisman 
of power is at once adopted, given a high- 
sounding title, and organized for action. 

And why not this? It is but a matter of 
demand regulating supply. For men and 
women, like blind beetles, are throwing out 
their prehensiles right and left, feeling after 
something, they know not what. And this 
is what the advanced leaders of the re- 
ligious world are pleased to dub freedom of 
thought. Yes ! in the face of this confusion 
they still dare to denounce every standard 
of religious action as insufferable bondage. 

69 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

This, then, is what we confront in the 
literary field. Can it be overcome? The 
path is slippery. How can we get our 
guns to play on this indefinite mass? Or 
shall we relegate this duty to the dwellers 
in the tents of the crazy? The Gospel is 
as much for the moral vagrant as for others. 
But the applying of it — this sane and whole- 
some Word of the Lord — ay, there's the 
rub ! Evidently there must be more adapta- 
bility than has yet been shown by us. A 
little learning is usually a dangerous thing, 
but here it will work all right if com- 
pounded with sound judgment. 

Let us look within for a moment or two. 
Like other religious people, we have had a 
few able writers of a capricious character. 
They seem to have possessed a conscious- 
ness of two or more conflicting conceptions 
which manifested itself now and then. They 
can not really be called unstable. It was 
a part of their peculiar personality, and 
they thought it wrong to suppress it. It 
would have been, to them, to falsify life. 
And yet, such persons are rarely safe as 
instructors. There is something unique 
and of profound interest in what they say. 



70 



PRESENT AND PAST LITERATURE 

They charm their readers, for they are 
nothing if not inspirational. Their im- 
pulses and ideas, by their very friction, are 
productive of a fervent outcome. Although 
they are not usually understood, such is 
their frankness they are beloved. Their 
idiosyncrasies are charged up to genius, and 
so they pass muster. They are useful in 
arousing discussion. The literalists lie 
crouched to pounce upon them. As the chef 
would say, they keep the pot boiling. When 
the humor seizes them they soar to trans- 
cendental heights, causing callow minds to 
follow their flight with wistful eye. Then, 
again, they are down among the logicians, 
poising a syllogism and puzzling the critics. 
Literature, like men, should be trust- 
worthy, for it has a service nothing else 
can render. If it fulfills its mission for the 
Lord it will not broaden doctrine to satisfy 
vicious demand; nor, on the other hand, 
will it thunder imaginary terrors into 
shrinking ears. It should know no bias, 
for it is set for the amelioration of the 
world. How unfortunate, then, if it tamely 
crouches to secular power! In nothing 
should it be subsidized. To present Chris- 



71 



THE LITERATURE OF TPIE DISCIPLES 

tianity in its purity and in its completeness 
is glory enough for any art. Take, for 
instance, the history of the Gospels. It 
rests with literature to determine whether 
the most fruitful, moral and spiritual im- 
pulse in the world's history proceeded from 
a fact or a dream ; from a great and unique 
personality or from a phantom. There were 
pithy, aphoristic sayings of Jesus, to be 
sure, floating on the flood of tradition. But 
it remained for literature to attempt the 
precarious task of taking these, together 
with other oral matter, and forming from 
all the portrait of the Christ. Critical as 
has been the sifting of these Gospels, the 
kernel of truth is still ours. We are in- 
debted to an honest literature for this in- 
destructible gift. 

Christianity to do the world any great 
good must be presented as the beneficent 
truth of God. It must go straight to Christ 
and draw its inspiration from him. It is 
not the wisdom of man, and it is not the 
power of man. It is not a torrent of human 
thought poured forth as from a hydrant. 
It is that thought, Christianized, and re- 
solving itself into noble deeds. That is, it 



72 



PRESENT AND PAST LITERATURE 

is the power and wisdom of God operating 
through humanity. It invites comparison, 
but it brooks no rival. It is not to be tested 
by civilization, but civilization is to be tested 
b}' it. Other systems may propagate ideas, 
this propagates life. Other systems may 
attain a high level, the home of this is 
heaven. It comes by revelation and is mas- 
tered by obedience. The power of it is best 
utilized by the study and digestion of it. 
The writer, like the preacher, should be 
imbued with it. It must vibrate in his sen- 
tences and lodge in his heart. How else 
can one hope to teach his fellows the will 
of God? 

To bring a complete Gospel to man is 
our commission. Let it win on its merits. 
Give it a fair chance. Take it fresh from 
the Word of God. Do not content yourself 
with what remains for public use after it 
has been dragged into the field of con- 
tj-oversy. It may have been garbled by 
unprincipled disputants. It may have been 
emasculated by the critical tools of some 
pert rationalist. In either case it is not 
your message to man. Are not the testi- 
monies of the Lord sure, making wise the 



73 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLEvS 

simple? These are the things for us to 
think about, for with the testimonies must 
come the facts, and it is these individual 
facts which need pressing on the attention. 
People are now endeavoring to satisfy 
themselves with generalizations in doctrine. 
It soothes them to think of the incarnation 
in man. It frets them to urge as a fact that 
God was manifest in the body of Jesus. 
They can see a beauty in the bursting into 
life of the spring flora ; it irks them to talk 
of the physical resurrection of lyazarus. 
Strauss says: ''A theological system which 
in its doctrine of Christ stands by him as 
an individual is no system, but a sermon." 
Very good. Let the system go, say I, and 
give us the sermon. Thousands of pages 
are written annually in the defense of such 
artifices, nor is the Scripture spared in 
their confirmation. So gross has become 
the insinuating influence of evolutionary 
thought that with many religious writers 
the words of Christ have lost most of their 
distinctness. 

And now comes the contrast. The glory 
of our early literature was its Biblical con- 
tent and its honest handling. Our fore- 



74 



PRESENT AND PAST LITERATURE 

fathers found a sufficient field in the Word 
of God for their high powers. Every chap- 
ter of Holy Writ pointed them to the 
Christ. Every line of theirs gave grace and 
beauty to that Christ. For this splendid 
unselfish career we owe them a debt we 
can never repay. They were good and 
great men, who knew what was due to 
Jesus ; men who had no axes to grind ; no 
petty personal kingdoms to set up; no for- 
tunes to grind out of silly devotees. Living 
or dying, they were the Lord's. They 
could not be led astray by worldly interests 
or be bought by the devil. They were set 
for the defense of the truth, at all hazards. 
The emphasis they placed upon our liter- 
ature is clear to everyone. It was obedience 
to the Gospel. The keen eye of these lead- 
ers detected the arrest of Biblical develop- 
ment and this, to them, was the one tragedy 
of human life. Like Caesar, they came, 
they saw, they conquered. But it was no 
child's job. They readily saw that a fight 
for firm-footed faith was on, and that there 
was nothing before them but struggle and 
storm. There was no rest and no peace. 
The only thing they would ever consent to 



75 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

was surrender to the will of God. If there 
was any question as to what that will was, 
the "Acts of the Apostles" was thrown 
wide open for perusal. 



76 



DEl^ECTS OF THE I.ITERATURE 



DEFECTS OF THE LITERATURE. 

Something else must now engage our at- 
tention. As respects the causes leading to 
the death of Christ I make bold to say our 
literature has degenerated. There is very 
little being published among us which is as 
strong and true as our thought of fifty 
years ago. We seem to have been struck 
with a moral palsy. The divine love has 
been misconstrued. What did this ? Surely 
not the New Testament teaching. No! 
Here it is: A false interpretation of the 
cross was in vogue. God was represented 
as wrathful because of sin. Nothing could 
appease him but the slaughter of His Son. 
This was revolting to modern thought. 
Then, as usual, the human pendulum swung 
to the other extreme. The corrective was 
nothing but Love; a very Lethe of Love, 
swathed about with a sentimental compas- 
sion. The books were full of it, and they 



THE I,ITi:rATURE: of the DISCIPIvES 

caught us. So into this Lethe we sank, 
insensible, much of the Bible fact dropping 
out of our minds. Nothing can be more 
important than clear work here. Come, let 
us reason together. Is it not irrational to 
say that the death of Christ is a proof of 
his love to the sinner, unless there is shown, 
at the same time a rational connection be- 
tween that death and the responsibility 
which sin involves? If we do not see the 
truth now we shall some day. For the 
reaction has already set in. We are still 
to learn that love must be just, and that 
mercy is not at its true work except as it 
is seasoned with justice. At present we 
have such a high conception of man's need 
and so slight a conception of the rupture 
made by sin throughout the universe — so 
little do we reflect upon the risk God took 
in postponing the result of the curse until 
the erection of the cross, and so deeply are 
we concerned lest we present too formidable 
a fact to critical man, that we have allowed 
some essential features of the sacrifice to 
escape our thought. We read over the 
writings of Paul and others, but they seem 
to make little or no impression upon us. 



78 



DEFECTS OF THE LITER.\TURE 

Such terms as Justification and Propitiation 
have all but lost their gist for us. We quote 
them and use them, but it is in so weak a 
way that they are all but perfunctory. If 
a few of our preachers do not stop skipping 
and stripping the apostles there will be 
nothing left for them soon but dry bones. 
Let it ring out — God is the justifier of him 
zvho believes in Jesus. Justice, here, stands 
out clear. It is as important in its place 
as Mercy. Without either God would be 
finite. God's righteousness is involved in 
this matter. There are relations between 
the death of Jesus and our sins, and we can 
not put law and necessity out of these re- 
lations. The sin of the world made a dif- 
ference to God. It was a sin against his 
righteousness, and his righteousness had to 
be sustained. It was this sustaining that 
brought to light the righteousness of faith. 
After declaring that the soul that sinned 
should die, either the whole human family 
must have perished or something must 
occur that would justify God in sparing it. 
This something was the substitution of 
Jesus for the guilty sinner. 

There can be no greater achievement for 



79 



THE UTDRATURE O]? THE DISCIPLES 

US than to be able to show how Justice and 
Mercy met and kissed in the death of 
Jesus. This is the fact that will move man- 
kind to tears. Get men to see that it was 
either them or Jesus, and that their Savior 
took the deathstroke for them. It is for us 
to show how, in dying, Jesus made our sin 
his own. "He took it on himself as the 
reality which it is in God's law against sin, 
and therefore in God's sight." He became 
sin for us. He became a curse for us, "It 
is this which gives his death a propitiatory 
character and power," and this alone does 
so. But here I must call a halt. 

The stern demands of history now com- 
pel me to pen unwelcome words. Step 
back with me through thirty years or more, 
pause a moment, and inspect some of our 
issues from the press. What do you find? 
An arbitrary, mechanical treatment of Gos- 
pel truth, correct enough, as for that, but 
as cold and lifeless as correct. What had 
occurred, thus to overshadow us? What 
grub was gnawing at the root of our 
thrifty vine? The subtlest and deadliest of 
all destroyers — Formalism. The saddest 
aspect of all was that this formalism lay 

80 



di:fe:cts of the: i,ite:raturi: 

within the domain of revealed truth. It 
had also crept into the writings of the 
church. The tendency of those times was 
to domicile ourselves in the externals of 
the New Testament order. Anything and 
everything having to do with apostolical 
churches looked good to us. So enamored 
of them were we, that, overlooking their 
most heinous faults, we accepted them as 
njodel congregations. That age, to us, was 
a golden one, and we turned our backs on 
the future as we gazed upon it. That the 
circumstances and customs of that day, 
like those of all other days, were local and 
transitory, did not seem to occur to many 
of us. To others, it did so occur, and was 
felt to be worth an emphasis. Journals took 
cognizance of the condition of affairs and 
shaped themselves accordingly. Spiritual 
men and women came to their support. 
Nor was it any too soon, for fossilization 
had already begun. The contention for 
some time was over the veriest details. A 
large wing of the church persisted in put- 
ting its strength into things visible. Its 
leaders were men of energy — men who 
never let the ink dry on their pens. What 



81 



the: literature oe the DISCIPEES 

they could not reason out they refused to 
touch. No one could set up the kingdom 
better than they. No one wrote or preached 
less about the kingdom of heaven as a 
personal growth. That the kingdom was 
within us was then looked upon as mysti- 
cism, and some of the sharpest pens in the 
brotherhood were devoted to its denial. 
And thus the conservatism of the outer was 
eating the heart of faith out of the inner. 

The trouble seems to have lain here. We 
were dealing with the Gospel, but it was 
as a mechanism, not as something germinal. 
We had the measures of meal all right, but 
we failed to put in the leaven. Our favorite 
phraseology was suspicious. One while it 
was "The Plan of Salvation," again, ''The 
Remedial System.'' Properly qualified, this 
language might pass. Unquestionably God 
had a plan. The danger came when the 
phraseology^ was pressed beyond its bounds. 
The religion of Christ is a system, but it is 
also a growth in the heart. We had almost 
lost sight of the fact that salvation is life, 
and that heaven, to be of any value to a 
sinner, must begin down here in a human 
being. So our teaching became inflexible 

82 



DEFECTS OF THE LITERATURE 

in tone and manner as a bar of iron, rather 
than tender and flexible as the love that 
begot it. I know how this affected me 
when a young preacher. I could not read 
the story of the prodigal son without being 
touched by a sympathy coming as a fresh 
breath from heaven. 

Meantime we insisted on belief and bap- 
tism, and kept quoting the commission for 
our authority. But we placed but slight 
emphasis on the fact that God commended 
his love to us in that Jesus died for our 
redemption. The truth is we had the form 
of godliness but our attitude was such that 
we were losing the power. Our faith was 
honest, and often intense, but it spent its 
strength in grappling with propositions 

A great writer has said it is just as if our 
knowledge of man were confined to his 
stature, and to the shape and color of his 
coat; so tha;t when his name is mentioned 
in our presence, we immediately think of 
his size and dress, and nothing more. It is 
the very essence of formalism to set the 
outward institutions above the inward 
truths, to be punctilious in going the round 
of observances while neglectful of those 



83 



THE literature: OE THE DISCIPLES 

spiritual sacrifices without which no person 
can please God. 

But the glory of the matter, after all, 
was in our own wise detection of it. And 
how came this about ? Frankly, by our ex- 
perience of the lack of spiritual life within 
ourselves. The body was fair to look upon 
but the blood was getting bad. Our churches 
were dwindling away. Our mission work 
was coming to a standstill. Our house was 
tumbling down over our heads. We were 
aging before our time, and all through 
mismanagement. Faith, Repentance and 
Baptism were right, but we gave them, at 
times, the wrong emphasis! Obedience to 
truth was right, but it was to all truth. We 
were zealous about the sinner, but fre- 
quently overlooked the needs of the saint. 
The Holy Spirit had come, but because of 
worldly-mindedness there was a lack of 
possession. 

The Gospel is not so much* for so much. 
However dominant the idea, the Gospel 
was never a system of commercialism, for 
this was never the idea of the benevolent 
Father. A man is in the wrong who stakes 
Ins personal salvation on being at a balance 

84 



DEFECTS OF THE LITERATURE 

with God. He will always find himself 
short in weight. He is also placing the 
credit on the wrong side of the ledger. "By 
grace are ye saved, through faith, and that 
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.'* 
This is the only key that unlocks the gate 
of heaven. 

Now I come again to an inspiring fact, 
ard I do so with great joy. I refer to our 
ability to detect and arrest any possible 
crystallization of a select set of truths. Here 
our spiritual periodicals find their work. Let 
us use a symbol. Suppose a scow. We 
have the good sense to keep this scow of 
truth going back and forth through the 
mind of the brotherhood, thus keeping open 
the spiritual channel. In this matter I shall 
say that we have surpassed every religious 
movement known to me. A people who 
succeed in doing this may perhaps venture 
to say that they have the New Testament 
Faith and that Christ is their Master. L,et 
be more and more, move over the whole 
field of truth, with the same firm tread, and 
with unabating joy. This pleases the Father, 
makes men of God, and all the rest follows. 
Thus our missions have sprung forward 



85 



THE IvITERATURE OE THE DISCIPLES 

with a bound ; our men of wealth recognize 
our earnestness and give of their means 
spontaneously; and we are building ten 
church houses where before we built one, 
and are baptizing hundreds every week of 
the year. 

I do not know how better to close these 
reflections than to ask your attention to 
Phillips Brooks' Principle of The Crust. 
And I do this the more readily because in 
unearthing Formalism I conceive that I lay 
my finger on our most vulnerable spot. He 
says: *'There are two kinds of hindrance 
or obstacles which may settle around any 
object and prevent a power on the outside 
from reaching it. One of them is a purely 
external obstacle, built round it like a wall, 
of stuff and nature different from the object 
itself. The other is simply its own sub- 
stance, hardened upon the surface, and 
shutting up the body of the object, as it 
were, behind and within itself. The river 
freezes and it is the river's self, grown hard 
and stiff, which shuts the river's water out 
from the sunshine and the rain. The ground 
is trodden hard and it is the very substance 
of the ground that lies rigid and impenetra- 

86 



dki^e:cts of the literature 

bie, and catches the seed and will not let it 
enter and claim the soil. . . . Not 
until the crust is broken, and the ice melts, 
and the ground is crumbled into the gen- 
eral system of the soil again can power and 
influence find their way and permeate the 
whole/' 

I think one can readily see what Phillips 
Brooks is aiming at. This is, as he says, a 
parable of man, as he exists in the world. 
It is out of the very stuff of what he is and 
does that the hindrance comes. His habits, 
customs, standards of action, all, will con- 
tribute to this result. It will be thus in his 
life and literature. There is no escape from 
it that I can see except to keep the plow of 
truth astir, tearing up bodily the quick- 
rooting growth of formalism. Thus will 
be brought about a true conservation of 
energy. That which was uppermost will go 
under to enrich the soil of the heart. 

A word or two further concerning forms 
themselves. As respects divine forms, we 
must see that they are perpetually replen- 
ished by the spirit. ''This is best done by 
letting the food of belief, which is new 
truth, pour constantly into them." There 



87 



THE IvlTKRATURE OF THE DISCIKES 

is no reason why a thoughtful soul, like 
that of a Garrison or an Aylesworth, should 
not experience new values in the ordinances 
of Jesus. Any soul can enter into this joy 
if it has the spiritual eye to discern the 
sacredness of the embodiment. Both form 
and spirit are essential to Christian life. 
They are also essential to each other's well- 
being, for they are to each other as body 
and soul. The one should be pliant to the 
other, and they should be mutually pro- 
tective. One can not be parted from the 
other, through any human cause, without 
damage to the life of man. A spiritless 
form is a husk, fit for nothing but coffin- 
packing for a dead soul. A formless spirit 
is an anomaly with which I want nothing to 
do. Forms are modes of expression for God 
and man. Without forms everything would 
be void. We should instantly land in chaos. 
But human forms, such as styles of song or 
postures in prayer, and the like, should be 
kept variant, for here is the hot-bed where 
formalism sprouts. A man, or a church, or 
a literature, is not otherwise safe from this 
rigid result, and when it comes it is the 
knell of doom. 



DEFECTS OF THE LITERATURE 

In a word, let our lives and our literature 
be vital, under constant revision and ever 
wooing the Holy Spirit. Let them be and 
remain a power for good ; all-pervasive and 
effectual in implanting righteousness in the 
hearts of the people. Let it be our aspira- 
tion to serve in ushering in the new heavens 
and the new earth. Not otherwise can there 
be any permanent advancement for the 
kingdom of God. 



89 



the: IvITErature of the disciples 



VI. 

READJUSTMENT OF LITERATURE. 

Turning now for a while in a new direc- 
tion, let us inquire as to any needed literary- 
adjustments. It is said we are living in a 
new and different age than that of our 
fathers — an age when new thought has 
developed, and when old customs are dying 
out. To take up the Tennysonian refrain — 

"There's a new foot on the floor, my friend, 
A new foot on the floor." 

All right. Let us inquire as to that new 
foot. Let us take its dimensions, and do it 
soon, else it may get itself booted and spur- 
red and invade our private chamber. It 
may be it will be for us a good foot — a val- 
uable foot — one that will give us a surer 
understanding, and if so we shall surely 
welcome it. Still, it may prove to be on a 
wooden leg, and the foot itself as wooden 
as the leg — who knows? He who uttered 
these poetic words seemed to deprecate 

90 



READJUSTMENT OF LITERATURE 

them in his "Locksley Hall Sixty Years 
After"! 

Is it the purpose of this new foot to intro- 
duce to us ''the historic Christ"? That is 
a fascinating phrase. But what is meant by 
it? Certainly Christ himself is the center of 
all history. The highest truths of Chris- 
tianity are embedded in historic ground. To 
be candid, is not this phrase, as now used, 
intended to emphasize the authority of his- 
toric criticism? It occurs to me that it is. 
Jesus of Nazareth has stood the modern test, 
and in so doing has distanced his apostles, 
who are falling before the sweep of the 
critic's scythe. No! No! This can not be 
the meaning of the new foot. Well, then, 
is it methods we are thinking about — a bet- 
ter way to get at the people with the gospel ? 
If so, adopt whatever is best, and do not 
scruple about it. Hesitate not to appropriate 
every truth that can help you to a promising 
conclusion. Avoid all others. Why should 
you overload yourself until you stick fast? 
Don't get top-heavy. So doing, knowledge 
will not be power. . . . But you say 
you crave a wider vision. All right. Bound 
upon the shoulders of capable predecessors. 



91 



THE I.ITERATURI' OF THE DISCIPI.ES 

There is even no harm m an expert pulling 
you up still higher, that is, if there is a foot- 
hold for two. You realize, of course, that 
you can not grow an oak tree in a flower pot. 
What you need, then, is an ample supply 
of good ground. Garfield was right in 
going to Williams College rather than to 
Bethany, because he had thoroughly di- 
gested, while at Hiram, O., what the Sage 
of Bethany furnished. Here was a level- 
headed man. He had stocked himself 
thoroughly in the facts of the past, and now 
he was to look about for the ideas of the 
morrow. There is always the past which 
is secure, and the future which is full of 
promise. He who rests in the past is al- 
ready dead. He who sneers at the past, 
turning his back upon it, is up in the air 
without remedy. To obtain the ultimate 
and best result history must be welded to 
prophecy. The trouble comes when one 
chooses either and rejects the other. Neither 
can be gainsaid. Parties may organize 
in defense of each, but that means war. 
For each party has equally profound con- 
victions, and is prepared to maintain them. 
It is largely a matter of temperament, and 



92 



READJUSTMENT OF LITERATURE 

hence the influence steals on one with the 
subtlety of a serpent. How glorious, there- 
fore, to find a leader in a man who can 
content himself only with the total result! 
For this, and this alone, is the making of 
a free and capable man. No harm can 
come to such wise spirits. On, and still on, 
they journey, with their feet on the facts 
and their eyes on the Star of Bethlehem. 
But, alas! all are not Garfields. For us, 
then, let us keep watch. We live in a 
different day — a day of enticing proposals. 
The most honest thinkers may lead you 
astray from the fact that they never knew 
the true road. At their best many of them 
are but theorists. They mean well. Some 
of them have slipped through the bars of 
the creed on to an unfenced field. Having 
exploited somewhat they hope to make 
Christianity easier to take. Some felicitate 
themselves that they are successfully re- 
moving the obstructions from the Bible. 
Others think that by plowing with the 
heifer of philosophy they will be able to 
guess the riddle of the universe. While, 
with many, theology is nothing more than 
the science of inferences, deducible from 



93 



TH^ I^ITERATURE 01^ THE: DISCIPIvES 

revelation, and of these Inferences you can 
always get an abundant supply. 
As far as seems safe to you, go with them. 
if you care to. You will at least see the 
sights. But above everything else please 
do not recommend the route to others until 
you have proven it to be correct. Why 
should you add one more to the blunderers ? 

Rather! Ask yourself what it all means. 
Why all this pother ? What is behind it all ? 
And if some good-natured fellow whispers 
— Germany — smile and go on. 

There are two schools of thought bearing 
upon our religious life. One is philosophical, 
the other revelatory. Philosophy is specu- 
lation ; Christianity is truth. ''The realm 
of speculation Is in the philosophic sense, 
illimitable, because the realm of truth Is 
without bounds. Speculation concerns itself 
with truth, not as knowing it, but as seek- 
ing It." It can assume nothing, for it must 
prove as it goes along. Revelation, on the 
other hand, deals with knowledge. It 
descends from Him who knows all. Its 
basis rests back on the existence, veracity 
and Fatherhood of God. Being his chil- 
dren, it Is rational to believe he has spoken 



94 



READJUSTMENT OF I^ITERATURE 

to US. The philosophic spirit is an enquiring 
and reflecting spirit, and in so far it is right. 
But it refuses to accept anything upon 
authority and thereby antagonizes Chris- 
tianity. It demands evidence, but refuses 
to hsten to the witnesses of Christ. That 
is, it requires a thing to be reasoned out, not 
beUeved. It would be an excellent force 
for opening up the way of thought if it 
did not bar the mental journey by con- 
flicting opinions. Its success in purifying 
the old world religions has made it ambi- 
tious to naturalize Christianity. And yet 
the world would be much poorer were 
philosophy to become extinct. Like every- 
thing else, it has its mission. It gives the 
deathblow to absurdities, although it fosters 
intuitions as against facts. Where it pos- 
sesses the religious spirit and shows obe- 
dience to God it may be accepted as a virtue. 
From this estimate of philosophy and 
revelation there is a deduction. In the 
world of religious letters two other schools 
are found. One proceeds upon the assump- 
tion that things are at loose ends respecting 
the Bible, and hence its work is to canvass 
all fields that can afford any light what- 



95 



THE^ literature: OF THE DISCIPLES 

soever in support of truth. It is easy to be 
seen that when one gets on a ramble of this 
sort he soon leaves revelation far in the rear. 
The other school proceeds upon the assump- 
tion that the Bible is full of the best sort of 
stuff, and needs only the comprehensive 
mind to make a splendid presentation. This 
school values the New Testament utterances 
as keys to the door of necessary conclusions. 
Its revelations concerning divine helpfulness, 
society, a right life and a hundred other im- 
portant matters, are looked upon as saga- 
cious, practical and final. With writers of 
this school there is no uncertain stepping. 
Their text-book is sufficient for all ends. 
They center there, and work out their prob- 
lems in the light of heaven's disclosures. 
It does not require much shrewdness to 
classify writers in these two particulars. 
All one has to do is to mark, as he reads 
from page to page, whether he bears toward 
or shifts from the Book of Heavenly 
Wisdom. 

Much error resulting from the adoption 
of certain ideas could be avoided if writers 
would only trace out the occasion of their 
origin. It might then be discovered that 



96 



REJADJUSTMENT OF I.ITe:RATURK 

what was adapted to certain mental devel- 
opments has no particular value to us. 
Otherwise, one may innocently take into 
his repertoire of ideas logical conclusions 
which will dash his faith into pieces. A 
notable instance is that of the teaching of 
Ritschl. The ideas of this leader were put 
forth as a substitute for what was known 
as dogmatic theology. To those who recog- 
nized Christ as The I^ogos, the revelation 
of God involved all those supernatural facts 
that are taught in the Gospels. But this 
was offensive to many rationalistic minds, 
so much so, indeed, that revelation as a fact 
was in jeopardy with them. To save it, and 
with the hope of saving them, the moral 
character of Christ was held to be that in 
which revelation centered. This line of 
thought parted company with philosophy 
and with what was called church dogma, 
rrhe Incarnation, Atonement and Resur- 
rection were set aside as obtrusive, and In 
their place came conscience and the moral 
convictions as taught by Kant. Thus the 
ethical movement once more came to the 
front. The famous Harnack is the historian 
of this school of thought, and with his in- 



97 



THE literature; oe the disciples 

fluence to push it on it is certainly a force 
in the theological world which must be 
reckoned with. It has some very note- 
worthy features for those in need of them. 
"It would keep theology independent of 
philosophy, and free from' all contamination 
by metaphysics. It rests its claim entirely 
on the revelation of God in Christ." With 
this school moral life is the core of history. 
It sets ethical thought up as its ideal ; but 
the result is the dethronement of all that 
which gives official character to the Christ. 
To those, therefore, who are afflicted with 
the ailments of modern culture some good 
may come from this teaching. It has a re- 
ligious tone, and may also call a pause to 
reckless thought. But to speak of it as a 
defense of historical Christianity borders a 
little on the humorous. 

A wise man is for anything that gives 
us a completer mastery of the Scriptures. 
There is nothing to lose in an impartial, 
critical study of the Old or New Testa- 
ments. The nearer we get to those old 
priests and prophets the more shall we be 
able to "feel their problems and trace their 
motives." It is when their personality is 



98 



READJUSTMENT OF I.ITERATURE 

assaulted that one flinches. For myself, I 
find a message of some serviceable sort 
coming from every one of them. It attests 
itself, and it attests its author. It leads 
one to believe in the continuity of intelligent 
beings. I appropriate it and appreciate it, 
but I do not argue over it till its life escapes. 
Each message comes to man laden with the 
righteousness of God, and the promise of a 
high and holy human destiny. Step by 
step, as one comes down through the 
Hebrew ages the individuality of Jehovah 
looms up the more distinctly. And as it 
does so one's own individuality as his son 
is the better realized. The thing is to be 
real in what we hold. We must not dispose 
of a personal God, slipping in his place a 
provisional one — that is, an admitted God if 
it conduces to our welfare. God is not a 
mere argument to help us over some tough 
place in our speculations. Our wisdom is 
in this : to know this world as God's world ; 
this Bible as God's Book, and God as our 
living Father. If we take this position we 
can hold to our identity. But suppose we 
settle down in the notion that we can not 
know God as a Person, or Jesus of Naz- 

99 
LOFC. 



the: IvITE^rature: 01? the: discipi^es 

areth, He coming from God as His Man- 
ifestation. What hope is there for us that 
we can ever know anything of permanence ? 
Is it not to sap Hfe at its fountain head? 

On the whole, our literature \vill be 
sa fest in correspondence with conservative 
British criticism . This is constructive 
rather than destructive. Some of its authors 
are exceedingly helpful. They have a free- 
dom of thought which may^ at times, sur- 
prise t he reader , but in many particulars it 
is wholesome. If one may suggest a leader, 
I should select Principal Fairbairn. Here 
is a sturdy, hard-sensed man, who has his 
eyes constantly on the German rationalists, 
and has already driven several to the wall. 
Bold and square, this critic hesitates at no 
problem. He has the faculty of seeing 
the best side of an idea. Then he is always 
hopeful. His forecast for the final truth 
rings out like a joy-bell. In making up his 
conclusion concerning New Testament 
criticism, he says : ''The modern return is to 
Christ, and to him as the Person who cre- 
ated alike the evangelists and the apostles, 
by whom he is described and interpreted. 
He has become the center from and through 



100 



RISADJUSTMENT OF I^ITERATURE: 

which all are studied, and is not simply 
looked at through the eyes of Paul or John. 
This is not an individual or incidental thing, 
but represents the tide and passion of the 
time. Is, as it were, the sum and essence 
of the living historical, philosophical and 
religious spirit." 

Yet, in this transitional age, it will be well 
for you in taking up their lines of discussion 
to recall the fact that you are pledged to 
apostolical Christianity. This gives you 
very little, if any, chain for drifting. Keep, 
then, a few questions like these before you. 
Does this critical work mean the paring 
down of the Incarnation, or of the Atone- 
ment, or of the Resurrection? Does it 
mean the succumbing of the primary teach- 
ing of Christ to the efforts of any experi- 
mental ecclesiasticism? Will it involve the 
classification of the ordinances of Jesus with 
the things which are to be shaken ? Will it 
put the religion of Jesus on a par with those 
of heathendom ? Satisfy yourself about this 
before you enter into endorsement. Again 
(as a caution to some enthusiastic young 
parsons), does this readjustment mean the 
conversion of the temple of God into a club- 



101 



THE IvITi:rATURK of THI< DISCIPIvES 

house, and the metamorphosis of the par- 
son into a fighting Sam, of the Jones family ; 
or into one of Ralph Connor's sky-pilots, 
full of a heroism which is estimated by his 
capacity to endure the odor of blood, and 
to hark forward to the boys, out on a mid- 
night lark — to act as a sort of war chaplain 
on occasion — binding up their wounds and 
burying their tragical dead — if it means 
this, or anything like it, then, however, glo- 
rious a piece of fiction it may be, or however 
nervy a life, you would do well to prefer 
the methods and manners of the Nazarene. 
For this certainly savors more of that gen- 
tleness of God, which has for its glory, that 
it makes us great. 

Again,, if the new methods mean the 
subverting of Biblical history — ^to melt it 
into shapelessness through the cunning 
process of some mythical solvent — ^to ex- 
tract, with great labor, a few. grains of gold 
from a volume of gravel — if it means to 
play hocus-pocus with Biblical chronology 
until one is mortified at the maiming of 
Moses and the displacement of Daniel — if 
it means to strike down with the terror of 
death that grand galaxy of patriarchs and 



102 



READJUSTMENT OF UTERAIURE 

Hebrews reaching down into the days of 
Solomon, giving us in their place a few 
anomalous creations as unreal as the shades 
in the realm of Pluto — if it means all or 
any of this I must demur. For the diffi- 
culties are increased, not lessened. Their 
legends come upon us like waves of the sea. 
Instead of giving us a foothold upon dry 
land, such is their continuous prospecting 
that they trample into a marsh that which 
before was a solid support. And what of 
our writers meanwhile? Not every one is 
asleep, but some halt. More activity in the 
right direction is desirable. It seems that 
we differ as to plans of defense. Renounc- 
ing the task of nicely weighing and adjust- 
ing radical distinctions between able 
thinkers, it is enough to know that more 
strenuous effort is in demand. The exi- 
gency of the time calls for a disregard of 
every puny scruple and of all jealousy. This 
is no hour of leisure. Let us speak boldly 
or not at all. Nothing can avail the cause 
of truth but the courage which truth in^ 
spires. Neutral ground is for the frivolous 
and the infirm. The writer on "Biblical 
Criticism" in one of our journals may al- 



103 



THE UTRRATURE 0? THE DISCIPIvES 

ways be found on the firing line. His shots 
fly through the air both by night and day. 
Others prefer Robertson's method. Instead 
of direct attack or defense their plan is to 
fill the public mind with more wholesome 
thought than the rationalist can offer. This 
is the same as to sow a field with good seed 
to cut off the chance for the weeds. Several 
of our writers are quite happy in this en- 
deavor. On the whole, this seems best, as 
it bestows three advantages. It ignores 
the doughty critic and so refuses to grant 
him honor; It avoids contention, and so 
preserves spirituality ; and it implies implicit 
trust in the truth of Christianity. At any 
rate, in some form, let us place our literary 
protest against the work of these sappers 
and miners. We must not delay, for delay 
means the more thorough occupation of the 
field by the foe. 

One more word with regard to proposed 
adjustments. For one, I can readily un- 
derstand the value of ascertaining where we 
are at (especially if we are in the dark) 
before we push forward. I also set high 
value on any new angle of vision. I can 
frankly admit any mistake as respects in- 



104 



ri:adjustment of ute:rature 

spiration, or in placing too much emphasis 
on some truths to the neglect of others. I 
can cheerfully grant that more light is 
breaking or that new interpretations must 
be insisted on. But all this has to do with 
the student, not with the Biblical content. 
It but stimulates one to make deeper re- 
search in the blessed Word. 

Have the advocates of readjustment, for 
their purpose anything like this? Is it 
merely the clearance of errors from the 
human mind, so that the glories of the 
Christ may shine out the better? Do they 
believe that God knows his business, and 
that he wishes them to know it? Do they 
realize that the chief service to be rendered 
by them is not the pitting of Matthew 
against Luke, or of James against Paul ; not 
the amending or the abating of the Scrip- 
tures; but to take up the Word and the 
work of God, intact, and so carry out the 
commands of Christ? Is this their idea? 
Are they merely examining and cross- 
examining witnesses with a view to enforce 
the revelation of our Lord? Do they put a 
just value upon each of these witnesses, or 
are they by their line of action putting them 



105 



THE LITERATURE OF THE DISCIPEES 

out of court as unreliable ? Whatever their 
motive, whether good or bad, they will be 
judged by results. Nor will it excuse them 
to aver that the discussion is still pending, 
and that it is too previous to meddle just 
yet. This is no new thing. For centuries 
there have been both rally and renewal of 
attack, while, as a sequence, the faith of 
mankind has been staggering under the 
onslaught. This, then, is our position. For 
investigators who love the Lord, and who 
pray for the fulfillment of his purpose in 
the salvation of the world, we have the 
most cordial sympathy, and court their 
co-operation. But for those who scan- 
dalize the Christ and his coadjutors, our 
pens can not be too busy, nor too sharp. 
Why should one wish religious affiliation 
with those who have no faith in the reality 
of the principles and motives upon which 
the mass of Christians, not to say the need- 
ful world, is resting its hope? With them 
our New Testament is nothing but a shrewd, 
human mechanism. For the sake of cour- 
tesy or convention they may smile and 
weep with us, but inwardly they jeer at our 
farce and pronounce us dupes. No one can 



106 



READJUSTMENT OF LITERATURE 

have fellowship with such spirits without 
forfeiting his consistency. He will find that 
the truths he holds precious will run abut 
of a foreign element, and if they do not 
sink into abeyance, they will at least be 
crowded aside by the volume of insinuating 
notions that will be presented. 



107 



the: IvITIvrature: of the: discipi.e;s 



VII. 

OUTLOOK FOR OUR LITERATURE. 

Our literature appears at its best when 
segregated from others, and when it is 
seen that the Hght of the Scriptures en- 
lightens it. Inferior though it may be in 
respect to artistic form, yet this luminous- 
ness is sufficient for its glory. A people 
who draw their daily nourishment from the 
Bread of Heaven, and who study the Christ 
as jealously as we ; a people with whom in 
union alone there is life, whether that union 
resides in the Father, the Son and the Holy 
Spirit; or in the family over which Chrisl 
is the Head ; or in the Scriptures which are 
vital throughout and therefore can not be 
broken ; who never dreamed of picking and 
choosing among holy Men of God who 
spake as the Spirit gave them utterance; 
with whom the words of Jude are as im- 
portant as those of Paul, since neither 
would have been enrolled in the college of 

108 



OUTI.OOK FOR OUR UTERATURE; 

the apostles, or have been honored by a 
place in the canon, had he nothing better 
to offer than his opinion — such people, if 
industrious, must produce something for 
the enquiring mind worthy of attention, and 
therefore are not to be despised. If at 
times the cold shoulder is felt, the fault is 
probably our own. Some keen eye has 
detected a false emphasis in our writings. 
Nor is the condition improved at all by the 
fact that our critic has a sore spot on his 
theological personality, and that this em- 
phasis has touched it. In such case let us 
gird up our loins and make a better attempt 
for truth. We are yet far, very far, from 
perfection. Butjthe_hopef ul feature is tha t 
we have_ a mission . There is a teaching 
that is needful for others, and a work 
necessary for ourselves. The age is still 
beckoning us on. Modern demands place 
us at a new angle of vision, and this gives 
us an inspiring view. Without construing 
the Scriptures, after the fashion of Matthev/ 
Arnold, into a body of vague, poetic meta- 
phors, we may still largely profit by the 
careful literary work done by such men as 
Moulton. Only let us be sure that prose is 



109 



THE IvlTKRATURE OF THE DISCIPLES 

prose and poetry is poetry, not blending one 
into the other. This will go far toward 
locating any historic background. Thus the 
new interpretation will give a new zest to 
the study of the boundaries of Biblical 
history. Add to this the late exact work 
done upon the Scriptures by our English 
and American revisers, so that there comes 
to our hand every facility and appliance for 
thorough work. 

Here, then, are elements of stimulus. 
What is to be the advantage to us? We 
certainly live in a period of dominant criti- 
cism and can not escape its influence. I do 
not know that we should. Wlien rightly 
applied to the Word of God it is of the 
greatest value. It was this which called out 
the powers of such men as Sanday, Bruce 
and Briggs. The latitude they take in in- 
terpretation Is, at times, something more 
than some of us are used to, but what help- 
ful ^vorkmen! Our concern Is to get the 
best possible process for textual work. If 
I am not mistaken, to us an opportunity 
comes, as fresh and promising as came to 
the Campbells. Can we seize It? There Is 
need of sympathy as a fundamental condi- 



110 



OUTLOOK FOR OUR UTERATURE 

tion of all true criticism. One must not 
hastily condemn or reject investigation be- 
cause it is new. It may be the gift of God 
to us. Why not accept what appears to be 
true and give it a trial? It may help us to 
bring into activity what of Holy Writ lies 
for the present dormant. It is perhaps not 
too boastful to say that we have aptitudes 
for this. Who has ever so thoroughly set 
forth the unity of our Lord's official life? 
Who has so clearly defined the conditions 
of salvation ? Was there ever a writer who 
could parallel our Campbell and Scott in 
these features? And how did this happen? 
Because in handling the Scriptures they 
avoided current theology. As a result, our 
position remains to this day as much un- 
trammeled by Arianism as by Trinitarian- 
ism. When one realizes that a hundred 
years is as nothing in furnishing time for 
the riddance of a false dogma, he will be 
ready to appreciate the good -sense of our 
forefathers. 

Instead, then, of spending our strength in 
philosophizing let us explore anew the 
Word. Let us submit to the scholarly 
world more of those clear-cut exegeses that 



111 



THE UTERATURE O^ THE DISCIPLES 

made our record for us. Let our best 
thinkers give us books of firm Biblical 
fibre. Let our journalists get still nearer 
to the Christ in the development of their 
articles. We do not need their speculations, 
for we have enough of our own. They 
need organize no systematic theology for 
us. Let them preserve, jealously, the 
analogy of faith, collating Scripture from 
both Old and New Testaments somewhat 
after the manner of Gilbert's Revelation of 
Jesus. Here the Biblical references are 
woven into a simple but continuous logical 
argument. The author gives us a pano- 
rama of texts moving along in an exegetical 
background toward the world^s Messiah- 
ship. 

How delightful it is to aid in deepening 
the faith of men and women, and to labor 
in restoring the good old Book to its position 
for credibility! Our knowledge of the 
natural divisions of the Bible will be at 
hand to help us. We shall not forget the 
covenant with Abraham in its application 
to the Christ. We shall not overlook the 
prophets and their Messianic utterances. 
We shall not be guilty of severing the gos- 



112 



OUTI.OOK FOR OUR I^ITERATURE; 

pels from the epistles, and so weaken our 
structure. With us the voice of an apostle 
will be the voice of God. Each inspired 
word will be an added stone to strengthen 
the walls of the temple of faith. Thus 
equipped, we shall be ready for our inves- 
tigation. For example, if we are to consider 
the validity of the Incarnation we shall 
begin with an analysis of John's gospel, fol- 
lowed possibly by a careful study of the 
Hebrews. These, together with the Pauline 
utterances, thoughtfully pondered, will do a 
great deal more good for us than to depend 
upon Renan and Harnack, and, as a conse- 
quence, fall into speculation over the Virgin 
Birth. Let us take Luke's statement of the 
Conception and be satisfied. If you are 
simply after God's Hows you would as well 
chase the rainbow. No man can "make 
square to a finite eye, the circle of infinity." 
The Whys should be sufficient for us, they 
involve the whole round of duty, and the 
Word of God is full of them. 

Do not let us hanker after a certainty in 
religion which will save our walking by 
faith. There is no such thing. To quote 
Satterlee, "The only substitute that the 

113 
— _ . 



the: liter.\ture oi' the discipi.es 

philosophical basis for Christianity has to 
offer for Christianity itself is a religion 
from which supernaturalism has been care- 
fully eliminated ; a religion in which a 
philosophical is substituted for an historical 
foundation; a religion in which ideas are 
to take the place of facts ; a religion in 
which God in humanity takes the place of 
God in Christ; a religion in which man's 
meditation about God usurps the position 
of God's revelation to man ; a religion in 
which an intangible essence of Christianity 
is regarded as firm and solid ground, while 
the plain and simple historic facts of the 
Gospel are dismissed as misty speculations." 
I do not advocate controversy, especially 
when it makes war with the spirit of love. 
But I insist on aggressiveness. We have 
seen our mistakes, have practically con- 
quered them, and a healthy, rapid growth 
has already set in. It is no time now to 
falter. Writers in other religious bodies 
are matching our remarkable progress with 
our unique literature. They know It was 
not always so. They are wondering what 
has happened. They no longer question 
our orthodoxy, but are beginning to ex- 



114 



OUTI^OOK FOR OUR UTERATURE 

amine their own. Let us boldly push for-^ 
ward into the v ery center of the citad el. 
Let us show all men the mettle of our 
pasture. Let them confess to the merit of 
an apostolic faith, in correcting errors, in 
inspiring Christly deeds, and in overcoming 
the world. Let our literature teem more 
and more with New Testament teaching. 
Let it reach out a hand of love unto all who 
serve the Christ in sincerity and truth. 

Li terature is the gangway between sepa- 
rate and otherwise unapproachable bodies . 
It is the medium between the known and 
the unknown ; between what is sure and 
what is possible. Yes, it is more. Even as 
the great ships tremble under their vast 
cargoes, bearing them seaward, and at last 
placing them on the wharfs of the world's 
distant markets, so it is the province of 
literature to convey foreign ideas into the 
most remote and indifferent minds. 
Thoughts which were once unwelcome be- 
come, through this medium, the common 
property of man. Week by week, and day 
by day, these thoughts come, dropping upon 
us like flakes of snow, until they eventually 
melt and pass into the heart and life of 



li: 



THE I.ITERATURE: OF THE DISCIPEES 

men. We have a noted instance of this in 
the plea for Federation. Nothing, at first, 
could have been more distasteful to us. 
Tutored as we were in our peculiar idea 
of Christian Union, it was difficult to see 
any place for provisional measures. With 
us it was all or nothing. We were too im- 
patient for results and too jealous for the 
truth, as we saw it, to submit to any con- 
ciliation. It was difficult for us to see an- 
other group besides our own, equally 
anxious for unity, but puzzled as to how to 
accomplish it. Had they enjoyed such a 
training in union as we had it might have 
been easier for both to get together. But 
they did not. Such as they were, they were 
at work, and the impartial, generous eye 
could easily behold them across the chasm 
building this way. It could also be seen 
that they, like us, had chosen the spot where 
the least construction was necessary, and 
that, as in building a bridge, they had 
chosen the narrowest part of the chasm 
and were placing their buttresses solidly 
in the bank. So there were two groups, but 
one work. Each could hear the sound of 
the other's hammers. But both were labor- 



116 



OUTLOOK FOR OUR UTERATURi: 

ing against environments, rooted heredities 
and persistent educational influences. To 
close up the spans, therefore, while a noble 
ideal, seemed still impractical. And yet, if 
Farrar could entertain an eternal hope for 
the incorrigible, surely there must be some 
value in looking forward to the ultimate 
unity of the Church. A few earnest spirits 
so feeling and believing formed themselves 
into a pioneer corps and persisted. For a 
while it seemed as though this had stopped 
the work on the bridge. Nothing of the 
sort. It is simply the temporary taking up 
of an auxiliary labor. Both sides are at 
present engaged in removing obstacles and 
in smoothing the way. The tide of destiny 
seems setting in, for the forces are daily 
increasing in numbers and in interest. How 
is the new move affecting us ? Is it making 
our love for Christian Union grow cold? 
Surely not. On the contrary, that love is 
steadily increasing. We are catching such 
glimpses of the future Kingdom of God as 
promise us great fruition. Only, let us not 
weary in well-doing; nor in the midst of 
prosperity become arrogant. God is at the 
helm and he will guide the good ship Zion 



117 



the: uterature: of ti-ie discipi^es 



into the harbor. "It may not be my way, it 
may not be thy way, and yet in His own 
way, the Lord will provide." 

Then there are other fields for literature 
to occupy, and ours must bear its share. We 
arc in a world where extravagances need 
modification. To quote from Dr. Van 
Dyke, "There are at the present time three 
mischievous and perilous tendencies against 
which the spirit of Christianity, embodied 
in a literature that is sane and manly, can 
do much to guard us. The first is the 
growing idolatry of military glory and con - 
quest. It is one thing to admit that there 
are certain causes for which a Christian 
may lawfully take the sword; it is another 
thing to claim, as some do, that war in itself 
is better for a nation than peace. . 
If all the territory of the globe were subject 
to one conquering emperor to-day, no mat- 
ter though the cross were blazoned on the 
banner and throne, the kingdom of heaven 
would not be one whit nearer. ... A 
literature that is Christian must exalt love, 
not only as the greatest, but as the strong- 
est, thing in the world. It must check and 
reprove the lust of conquest and the con- 

118 



OUTI.OOK FOR OUR UTERATURIi 

fidence of brute force. 

"The second perilous tendency is the 
growing id olatry of wealth. Money is con- 
densed power. But it is condensed in a 
form which renders it frightfully apt to 
canker and corrupt. A noble literature, 
truly in harmony with the spirit of Christ, 
will expose', with splendid scorn and ridi- 
cule, the falsehood of the standard by which 
the world, and too often the Church, meas- 
ure what a man is worth by his wealth. It 
will praise and glorify simple manhood and 
womanhood. It will teach that true success 
is the triumph of character, and that true 
riches are of the heart. 

''The third perilous tendency is the grow- 
ing s pirit of frivolit y. A brilliant British 
essayist in writing a life of Browning lately 
took occasion to remark that the nineteenth 
century had already become incomprehensi- 
ble to us because it took life so seriously. . . 
An age that does not take life seriously will 
get little out of it. One of the greatest ser- 
vices that Christianity can render to current 
literature is to inspire it with a nobler ambi- 
tion and lift it to a higher level." 

I have included these practical phases 



119 



THE literature: oe the discipi.es 

just here because there is a possibiHty that 
they may be crowded out of the reader's 
mind by speculative thought, such as 
theories of inspiration, or conceptions of 
the supernatural. These are of little import 
to him who values truth chiefly for its serv- 
ice to man, and who finds its root in the 
helpfulness of the Healer. 

One must possess an honesty that sends 
its roots deep into Christian love and strict 
equity. He must learn to loathe all decep- 
tion and tricks, all wrongs and injustice 
done to his fellows, all grasping which 
destroys fraternal feeling, and all hypoc- 
risy. We can not conceive of Jesus as re- 
quiring less. What a person does as actu- 
ated by the motive of love he does nobly. 
He must be tolerant without ofliciousness ; 
merciful without boastfulness ; and gentle 
like Jesus. He is in the midst of men as 
needful, in many particulars, as himself, 
and therefore he should not plan to get 
something for nothing, whether it be wealth, 
or honor, or a good name. Nothing should 
be acquired which proves a detriment to 
others, and that person is a rascal who 
studiously trains his conscience into har- 



120 



OUTLOOK FOR OUR UTERATURE 



mony with his own base ideas. 

Here is a practical field for Christian 
literature to operate. Many people are 
novices, in a manner. They have never 
looked deeply into the matter. It seems 
curious, but they may not suspect them- 
selves in the wrong. They have been going 
with the current, and that runs strongly. 
They probably do not mean to be dishonest. 
They conceive of themselves as merely 
seeking the main chance. Such people need 
instruction. They need an enlightenment 
of conscience, and our literature should be 
directed to that. 

If only our literature could busy itself in 
dealing with everything in its place and in 
its relationship to the divine purpose, what 
a glorious work it might perform for man- 
kind! For God intends well by us, if we 
will allow it. Goodness would not then be 
at a discount. The conduct of life, in as 
far as it is for right, and joy, and peace, 
would be uppermost. Virtue would not 
perish in the streets, for "God would cause 
righteousness and praise to spring forth 
before all the nations." 



121 



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